Jump to content

Keithstg

Members
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    1,256

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    53

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Keithstg

  1. Keithstg
    I think that among other things, this whole debacle has been instructive to the dining public at large in that comparisons between restaurants in different cities are ineffective, and having short stints at famous restaurants doesn't equal a superlative experience. All the EMP talk is totally overblown, and has been from the get go. Kwame is a talented guy, but at the end of the day he was a Line Cook at EMP. Not chef de cuisine, and not for an especially long tenure. The Shaw Bijou wasn't as if a long-time Lieutenant of a famous chef went out on his own opened a new place (see Benno, Carmellini, Ziebold, etc etc), despite the media (and the SB team's) portrayal. Also, having eaten at EMP through every iteration from Kerry Heffernan through Humm pre and post-Meyer - story aside, EMP delivered fantastic food. The jury may still be out on the Shaw Bijou, but early returns indicate that changes are required.
  2. Keithstg
    Oof - that review was brutal. Glad they clarified at the outset that concepts have changed.
  3. Keithstg
    Wow - hard to believe more than a year since the last post in this thread! Patrick Robinson had been doing an excellent job at the Ashby - our last meal there was excellent, and my wife is dining there tonight. I say that Patrick HAD been doing an excellent job because effective 1/5/17 Patrick Whitaker will be taking over the kitchen, coming from Fearrington House Inn & Restaurant in North Carolina. Well worth a trip out to catch Chef Robinson in his last few weeks - the rabbit en croute is particularly good.
  4. Keithstg
    "The Shaw Bijou Punts on its Plan To Have a Members-Only Bar" by Laura Hayes on washingtoncitypaper.com Well, that was fast. Client of mine has requested dinner here in early-Jan. Will be interesting for sure.
  5. Keithstg
    Hey Squids - I was just at Kinship this Saturday for an early dinner pre-company holiday party. We ate in the bar area and didn't venture too far beyond what we had in our prior visit. Starters were Lobster French Toast and the Risotto with White Truffles. The Lobster French Toast was unchanged from our earlier trip and just as delicious. Risotto was also excellent, and it should be noted that the truffles are priced fairly gently relative to other places in town and in other cities this season. Great dish, but then again when is anything with enough white truffles on it bad? Main course was the roast chicken, which continues to be superb and an EXCELLENT deal. The two of us couldn't finish the chicken, accompanying salad and parker house rolls. The pommes rissolees were also fantastic. The chicken is different than the Palena/ Grill room bird from years and months past - if this bird is brined it is not assertively so, but is no less moist. The panade is excellent, and I had more of it this time than on my prior visit. The chicken could have easily served three, and potentially four, but not four with hearty appetities. Also totally possible that we received a bird on the small side as there were just two of us. Wines were a glass of champagne, a glass of Chateau Musar white, and the outstanding '08 Raffault Chinon "les Picasses". Can't recommend this Chinon enough - pure Cab Franc goodness, and very easy on the wallet. Great meal - looking forward to returning soon.
  6. Keithstg
    This was awesome - thank you!
  7. Keithstg
    Oof. I have enjoyed my meals at Nakazawa immensely. That said, I do agree with one part of Alessandro's comment - while we have one amazing sushi spot in DC proper, and several expensive omakase options, I do see a wide gulf between the quality sushi that can be had in DC vs. NY. Whether it makes any sense to compare a city of 650k with a city of >8M inhabitants is another matter.
  8. Keithstg
    I've stayed at this Hyatt a few times - some related to a client who had an office in the building next door, and some when my flights out were cancelled. The restaurant on site (Oystercatchers) is very good and has a beautiful view of the water. It is quite a walk across the grounds from the main hotel buildings, but worth the walk IMO. Also, in addition to the main rooms the hotel also has casitas on the property - essentially free standing suites in their own cluster away from the property, closer to Oystercatchers. These are very nice, and I've enjoyed my stay there. While the Hyatt isn't located near much aside from the airport, it's a nice hotel in a town without many. Given how easy Uber is, I wouldn't hesitate to return. All in all, I agree with Don that this is a nice 4* property.
  9. Keithstg
    Bummer. I approved without a second thought. Frequent travel is hard enough, so anything that makes it easier is cool with me.
  10. Keithstg
    One of my colleages uses Clear for precisely this reason! Given the limited number of airports with Clear now, makes sense to review them and make sure your travel is frequent enough to the covered areas. I don't use Clear, but do have Global Entry. However I have gotten about five requests to approve expense reimbursements for Clear over the past two months - maybe they are gaining traction in DC.
  11. Keithstg
    Of course, so I'll simply say that no other great chickens were referenced at a fraction of the price, just that the mind reeled at the thought of >$50 chicken, and that no other options were offered at either restaurant which would yield better food for the same money. Am honestly interested in everyone's perspective on the relationship between cost of goods to produce and cost to consumer, and what is most important on the consumer side of the equation.
  12. Keithstg
    And one is free to spend said dollars elswhere, either clutched pearls in hand or with the pearls pawned to pay for chicken. In an effort to pivot the conversation to something useful (and feel free to move this thread, Don) - both restaurants you mention have leased space in a major city, employ scores of people, and make an effort to serve quality product to an appreciative audience. Seems as though the perception of how this can be done is skewed and increasingly focused on price (as mentioned before) without regard to cost. How would you like to see a restaurant balance cost of goods with cost of cuisine to customer, and what are you as a consumer willing to sacrifice to meet a price point deemed acceptable?
  13. Keithstg
    Well said. I've tried both the Momofuku chicken as well as the fried chicken at Ma Peche in NY (as well as the Kinship roast chicken), and both are among the finest fried chicken I have had anywhere - regardless of price. That's like, your opinion, man. I suspect that the majority of Kinship/ Momofuku diners find the price palatable - can't speak with respect to life-changing as that obviously varies. The great thing about these restaurants is that if something about them makes one uncomfortable or uneasy, be it price, noise level, etc etc etc, one simply need not patronize the establishment. Nothing mind-reeling - it's simple, really.
  14. Keithstg
    In my case, Robuchon didn't ruin our evening - in fact, he was charming, and the staff was eventually put at ease. But the energy in the room did change noticeably upon his arrival.
  15. Keithstg
    Ok, sure. Wait when we arrived: Nobody was at the host stand. Looked up the stairs toward the bar, then into the dining room. Saw some tables, heard some noise from bar. Milled around a bit, figuring someone would be on the way shortly - ended up walking back toward the open kitchen and running into someone I recognized as a long-time employee - he may now be the manager. We were then checked in and led to our table. Service during meal: Our server came over, introduced herself, took drink orders. We ordered meal and wine from her - never to see her again. Wine, appetizers and entrees were all brought by different personnel. No big deal in and of itself, but I feel that the pacing was off as a result - and hence the late arrival of bread. Tiredness of room: Large stain on the chair facing me, at about a seated diner's shoulder height. Frayed napkins, including the napkin covering the bread, which was honestly horribly torn. Stains on carpet, etc. Wood paneling still looks wonderful - colors in the dining room are muted and artwork is nice. IMO could simply use a thorough cleaning on the pieces seeing the heaviest use/ wear. Don, I provided the additional detail because you asked for it, but please don't think I enjoyed my food any less, or would hesitate for a second to go back. I remain a huge fan of Tom Power's cooking and this restaurant.
  16. Keithstg
    Great writing! Reminded me immediately of a trip to L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon in Paris a number of years ago. All was going smoothly, then Chef Robuchon came in for dinner. You could look across the counters and see the staff begin to perspire immediately
  17. Keithstg
    Funny - my criticism of the pairing rested primarily on the above three wines. Anyone pouring a 2010 Barolo right now should consider pulling a "Myhrvold" prior to serving it. Lots of '06 Faiveley's popping up on LastBottle over the past year or so - I'd be willing to wager that's where those came from.
  18. Keithstg
    Really appreciate the detailed review. Just had a client ask me if I'd heard of the Shaw Bijou on Friday (ha ha)! For $185 x 2, they could have done a lot better than this wine pairing. Forgetting a glass at this price level is inexcusable, imo.
  19. Keithstg
    Thanks Don (and Rieux). We ended up at Corduroy, and then the Columbia Room for drinks. I had a great meal at Corduroy - some thoughts (been going there since the 4 points). Cauliflower soup was fantastic, but that's to be expected given how well Tom Power does with soups. Ditto lamb loin with creamed spinach. Perfectly cooked/ seasoned, but nothing groundbreaking. Wine list continues to be very solid and very reasonable. Service was a struggle. Waited at least five minutes at the front door to be shown to the table (we did look around for someone, but stopped short of walking back to the kitchen window). Minor other snafus - no bread service, then bread dumped on the table about halfway through our mains, impossible to discern who our server was, as every course was brought by someone different - wine glasses not topped up. Additionally, the room is beginning to look a bit tired (not dated) - stains on chairs, frayed napkins, etc. Columbia room was fantastic. Sat in the library, had two fantastic cocktails. Wonderful atmosphere. Was a bit sad to walk by the ghost of Rogue 24 though.
  20. Keithstg
    Better than I was expecting, honestly.
  21. Keithstg
    You can, but that won't get you much in Winchester, unless somewhere new has opened up that I've missed in my trips "over the mountain". Near the pedestrain mall there's 50 50 taphouse for burgers, or El Centro for serviceable Mexican. Bonnie Blue is also an option for BBQ and baked goods. If you aren't wedded to Winchester, L'Aubeerge Provencale in White Post serves lunch in it's bar, and the Ashby Inn in Paris serves a Saturday lunch as well. Both are more locavore-centric than what you'll find in Winchy.
  22. Keithstg
    Winchester dining can be tough. Where are you thinking? If near the pedestrian mall, how about eM restaurant (www.eatatem.com)? If ambiance isn't a concern, I would also consider Neighborhood Italian Kitchen (www.nikswinchester.com)
  23. Keithstg
    Hi All, Hoping for some advice on a client dinner tomorrow evening - around 8pm, Penn Quarter and the general environs. Client is great, into food, and the only requirement is that the place allow denim (I'd leave out Corduroy because of this, but perhaps the bar? - Ditto Kinship). Price unimportant. Current thoughts are either DBGB, Central, Proof, Del Campo, or Pennsylvania 6 (although that's further afield). All have availability. What's best right now? Thanks in advance! Have been dining in Boston and the Middleburg area more than DC lately, so feel a bit out of the loop.
  24. Keithstg
    Uhhh, yes. Great response. I'm a member of a couple of places listed in this thread and a couple which weren't (and would not post anything here critical of them, even in a private club thread). I totally agree with your assessment of the formal dining room aspect of things. I think that the clubs that are successful do a good job of the following: - providing workout facilities not generally offered at health clubs in the city (see squash and swimming for example) - provide varying content to members (lectures, wine dinners, scotch dinners, toastmasters, etc etc etc) - offer below market accomodations (especially useful for family in town) and reciprocal priveleges in other cities Interestingly, the older line clubs do a much better job of the above than the corporate "ClubCorp" ones - which have a shorter shelf life and are membership revolving doors. And, while I haven't encountered anyone douchey at the places I go, the Shaw Bijou's take on a "club" sounds like a nightmare. But, as the great Nate Diaz said "I'm not surprised..."
  25. Keithstg
    Oh brother. While I think that the entirety of your post is over the top, here are a couple things (that could easily be verified by either (a) using reserve, (b) taking a look at reserve's site or (c) me explaining better in prior posts): - When I say went off without a hitch, I mean that although I did not elect to pay a premium I was always able to obtain the reservation I wanted, at the time I wanted it. In my experience, failing to bid over the menu price did not result in an inferior reservation time or table. - Each restaurant has a finite number of tables in/ on reserve, and once allocated, they are gone. So in the hyperbolic example above, once a reservation is made and accepted the restaurant doesn't have the ability to boot another in favor of an increased bid, at least not how I understand Reserve to work, or have observed Reserve working. - As to the notion of bidding in general, while I agree that the process could be more transparent (like Resy's system of paying for reservation times, for example) I see no reason why restaurants shouldn't explore it - especially during things like Inauguration week as you noted upthread. Also, no affiliation with Reserve, but maybe I should have invested. Anyhoo, Don - maybe time to move this discussion out of Fiola Mare's thread?
×
×
  • Create New...