Keithstg

1 hour ago, DonRocks said:

Note, however, that you could write the *exact* same sentence, substituting "José" for "Kwame" and "El Bulli" for "EMP" (of course, José had won a James Beard Award long before opening Minibar, so he'd paid his dues to a greater extent).

Sure. Of course Jose started with Cashion's and  Jaleo, not barmini. Seems like an obvious difference.

On 1/4/2017 at 1:27 PM, franch said:

interesting that a lot of the criticism of The Shaw Bijou sort of echoes the criticism of Eleven Madison Park by Pete Wells (NYT) when it overhauled its menu (the first time) to prix fixe only. the central theme being no story, not the history of food in NYC and not Chef Onwuachi's path to success, is interesting enough to be told over 14 courses as a narrative. it's been pretty consistent for TSB -- I wonder if the new menu will have toned this down.

(notably, after the Wells article, EMP did tone down the narrative quite a bit. they retained a couple bits for flavor, which Wells still hated three years later, but awarded the restaurant four stars with none of the vitriol of the 2012 article).

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.

Oof - that review was brutal. Glad they clarified at the outset that concepts have changed.

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.

"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.

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.

This was awesome - thank you!

20 hours ago, franch said:

>:(. unbelievable. manages to diss Sushi Taro (w/ a Star), Sushi Ozawa, and Sushi Capitol at the same time as offering a view of DC restaurants that was last accurate about 10 years ago.

Nakazawa is welcome (and amazing), but DC doesn't have a lack of good expensive omakase places. it has a lack of quality cheap sushi in the 3-rolls-for-15 vein that is such an essential NYC staple.

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.

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.

24 minutes ago, Dr. Delicious said:

My CFO denied my request for reimbursement for the annual membership cost for Clear, alas. So, I won't be able to serve as the group guinea pig. 

Bummer. I approved without a second thought. Frequent travel is hard enough, so anything that makes it easier is cool with me.

18 hours ago, Simul Parikh said:

Hmm. Sounds like Clear gets you to front of line at the ID/Boarding pass ... since I've had Pre Check, that hasn't been an issue. Maybe for business travelers the pre check line is very long on Monday morning and Clear could be helpful?

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.

3 minutes ago, Marty L. said:

Keith:  I'll say it again:  It is not my purpose to indict Ziebold or Chang, both of whom I admire.  Or to accuse them of price-gauging.  For all I know, they're taking losses on their chickens -- perhaps each requires 17 hours of labor or something. I'm just saying to the readers of this blog that I think the dishes are not remotely worth the cost to the consumer--that there are great chickens elsewhere at a fraction of the price, and that one's 56 or 67 dollars can get you much better food at Kinship and Momofuku themselves.  Aren't such judgments the whole point of this community--to advise one another on where best to spend our restaurant dollars?

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.

9 minutes ago, Marty L. said:

With all respect, Keithstg, of course it's only my opinion--that's the point of this website--and of course no one has to ever patronize any restaurant or order any dish.  Duh.  The purpose of my post--writing as someone who has great regard for both Eric Ziebold and David Chang, and who has had great meals at both places--is that to say that, IMHO, their chickens might be quite tasty, but that one's scarce food dollars are better spent elsewhere.

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?

17 hours ago, Bart said:

Good God, take a moment from clutching your collective pearls and think about the Kinship roast chicken.  Everyone freaked out that it was $56 and many meltdowns ensued.  Then people actually tried the thing and the raves started rolling in.

I was simply asking if anyone tried it.

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.

17 hours ago, Marty L. said:

The Kinship chicken is very good--but not life-changing, and not worth $56.

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.

16 hours ago, Gadarene said:

Sigh.

2 hours ago, Bart said:

Same thing happened to me at Central. The head chef showed up and ruined our evening. 

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.

On 11/4/2016 at 11:32 AM, DonRocks said:

Yes, I feel that way every time I go to The Dabney.

Tom Power will read this thread, and will be very interested in taking corrective action - do you have any more detail for him? (Granted, you gave plenty of detail; I'm asking for more than the norm here.)

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.

On 11/10/2016 at 3:52 PM, DonRocks said:

As I worked my way through the Sui Mai, the serene feel of the bar area became quite tense. Earlier in the meal, I had seen one of ThinkFoodGroup's upper-level employees at the other end of the restaurant, who mercifully left me alone (much appreciated). All of a sudden, the previously quiet atmosphere became infused with electricity, as if the entire staff had quaffed five shots of espresso apiece - then, I heard a deep, bellowing, Spanish-accented voice behind me and to my left. There was apparently a staff meeting taking place in the bar area, and only once in my entire dining career do I remember the entire staff leaping to attention the way they did on this evening: One evening, long ago, I was having dinner at Gerard's Place, Gerard Pangaud's outstanding little restaurant just off McPherson Square, and all of a sudden, Yannick Cam came walking in, with one of the most beautiful girls I'd ever seen, and took a table. Thrown into a panic, the servers began looking at each other with a "What do I do?" expression, and the entire "feel" of the dining room became one of "motion" - it was the exact same thing here, as if there was an ionized charge in the air. China Chilcano is a bustling restaurant during normal rush hour, but I purposely went during a more serene time, and the change in atmosphere was both palpable and dramatic. As one of the bartenders was filling a round of Pisco Sours, I broke the tension by joking that I would have another Cusqueña after they'd finished panicking. He laughed, and said something about "when Big Papa comes" - the entire scene was quite amusing.

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

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

*This* wine pairing was *$185* EACH?! That's $31 a glass!

The Pinot Blanc Réserve is a very good Pinot Blanc, coming from 40-year-old vines, but it´s still a Pinot Blanc, and assuming an average price of $31 per wine served, the restaurant paid less for the entire bottle than they charged you for your glass.

Serving the 06 Faiveley Mercurey is very clever because the bottle age, coupled with the relative lightness of it, technically make it a "fully mature Burgundy," but the only reason it's fully mature is because it's a Mercurey from 06 (what's known as "a restaurant vintage"); you wouldn't see too many Chambolle-Musignys from 05 in its place. Faiveley is a fine négociant, but ... Faiveley is a négociant, and Mercurey isn't even in the Côte d'Or.

The Barolo was certainly the most expensive wine you had, and can stand up to the darkest of meats, dark chocolate, cheese, etc. I'd be really impressed if it was a 1990 instead of a 2010 - this wine is too young to drink.

You know, there isn't a single one of these wines that I wouldn't be happy to drink - they're good, honorable wines, and well-chosen...

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.

22 hours ago, franch said:

Wine Pairing:

2013 Albert Boxler, Pinot Blanc, Reserve
2011 Neumayer, Grillenbuhel, Riesling (this was supposed to be a Champagne, but we don't particularly care for champagne and love riesling, so the sommelier offered a substitute)
2012 Fritz Haag, Brauenberger Juffer Sonnenuhr, Spatlese
2006 Domaine Faiveley, Mercurey,Clos du Roy
2012 Moric, Reserve
2010 Giovanni Manzone, Gramolere, Barolo

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.

Thanks Don (and Rieux). We ended up at Corduroy, and then the Columbia Room for drinks.

7 minutes ago, Tujague said:

Ouch.

Better than I was expecting, honestly.

39 minutes ago, peepers said:

Thanks- eM is only open for dinner on Saturday.  Rats. 

NIK looks fine but we eat a lot of pizza/subs/Italian.  We don't need fancy but would just like something other than fast food!  Dare I use the dreaded word locavore? 

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.

17 hours ago, peepers said:

Any suggestions for a Saturday lunch in Winchester VA? Last time we were there we ate at One Block West but it's not open for Saturday lunch, only Sunday Brunch.  TIA

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)

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.

3 hours ago, Simul Parikh said:

Do people actually belong to these types of clubs any more? Like George Town Club or Cosmos? Or is it just the super old?

Uhhh, yes.

2 hours ago, genericeric said:

Having been a member at the University Club for a few years, some aspects were surprising, others not so much.  Yes, there is an old guard.  And I completely agree that yes, they want more younger members and tend to completely miss the mark on recruiting other demographics, including age groups.  That being said, there are a surprising number of members under 35, with dedicated groups and activities for that audience.

Don - there may be potential here for a 'private clubs' thread, IF people are willing to post (even as a former member I'm somewhat hesitant to criticize).

To bring this back to SB - this seems to be the trend in private clubs these days.  People are becoming less interested in pulling out the jacket to go sit in a formal dining room eating country club food to see and be seen.  They want a place to go 'hang out' where they feel comfortable and included.  Where you can do work, get a drink, maybe work out (though that doesn't seem to be the case here) in a relaxing environment.  Mr. Gorsuch's description of their offering in this area is somewhat horrible, but if done well, these 'clubs' can be quite successful and not seem quite as douchey as he makes it sound.  

P.s. there was a recent article in a major magazine about this trend that, for the life of me, I cannot find.  If anyone knows what I'm referring to please post - it's driving me batty.

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..."