Keithstg

I don't think you can use the competition as a way to rank the chefs. There are better chefs that lost than some of the season winners because of individual challenges and the same will be true this time. Top Chef is simply a test of which chef does the best at Top Chef, the end.

I did appreciate Hosea's comment.

Oh, and while I wouldn't wager large sums of money on it, I saw some signs of impending choking for Richard in the last episode.

I was only talking about the winners of Top Chef, and where they stack up amongst each other... for sure there are better Chefs that lost seasons than won, either due to individual challenges or trying to shave someone's head. Holding up the winners of each season, some stand out and others, well, do not. Ed said as much last season while paired with Ilan. So, where would a winner of this season rank, potentially, given that they may have competed against tougher competition than an average season, but fell short once already?

So, where does everyone see the eventual winner of Top Chef - All Stars ranking on the list of winners thus far? Higher because of the "better" competition, or lower, as the "best" of the also rans? I've had a few discussions about this lately and can't seem to figure out where I stand, save for the winner being easily better than Ilan, Hosea, and Kevin.

Funny to see Hosea directly reference the "haters" last episode, btw.

Hilarious. More should be made of the ridiculous reviewers on Yelp.

Indeed. I don't think I'm THAT old, but Yelp and Twitter make my head bleed. You kids get off my lawn!

Kudos to Derek - I could read takedowns of morons on Yelp all day.

To Kwame "Fully Loaded" Brown, for reminding me (and other district residents) that every so often we can expect the worst of our elected officals and still be surprised.

The Bayou folks are connected to Surfside, Jetties and Smith Point. I hadn't heard of any connection to The Cajun Experience. IIRC the people behind the Cajun Experience weren't even in the restaurant business 3 years ago. I think the owner was in the software consulting business.

Yeah, I thought that the two were connected., and knew about the bayou, surfside, jetties, smith point (and don't forget something sweet) conglomerate. I stand corrected.

I tried the po' boy sliders from Bayou at 25th and Penn last Tuesday and will fully endorse those and their tasty remoulade sauce.

This is interesting, because I am 99% sure that Bayou and The Cajun Experience are owned by the same folks...

Apologies up front. There MUST already be a thread for The Source already but I couldn't find it. Tried the search tool a couple of times and scrolled way down. No luck. Then went to the Dining Guide (see? now a grouper, I know more than I did as a shrimp or even as a clam ) and looked twice across all the DC sections and not just downtown, by smithsonian, east or west of 16th and K, etc. Couldn't find it. But I know it must be here somewhere so, again, my deep apologies to Rocks or whomever may have to combine this thread.

Try searching Scott Drewno - shorter list of results... Source Thread

I have always found Cafe Deluxe (on Wisconsin, have not been to the Bethesda or Tyson's locales) to be solid, if unspectacular. I'm moved today to post because the staff working last night were truly superb, and handled the unexpected expansion of our group from 8 to 12 people graciously, quickly, and efficiently. They enabled our group to celebrate both two friends returning to DC, and send off a friend about to be deployed, who was an unexpected addition to our group, along with some of his friends. The food was fine, but the food last night wasn't really the point. Aside from being very accomodating, once we were seated service was friendly, engaging, and well-paced. We may not forgo 2 Amy's for Cafe Deluxe every time in the future, but we will certainly swing by more often when we are in the mood for basic American fare, and superb service.

Headed to Sonoma with my family (wife, sister, brother-in-law, mother, mother-in-law) in June. I am pretty sure that I have the restaurants covered, but I am struggling with what town to stay in and what wineries to go to.

Any thoughts on a preferred town to stay in - Healdsburg, Sonoma, Glen Ellen, Kenwood, Santa Rosa? Any hotels/inns that you would recommend? We are also considering just renting a house since there are six of us and we will be there for four nights.

What about wineries? Since this is a more diverse group that I usually go with, I won't be able to go to a winery that only serves cab or only serves zin, I will have to go to places that have some mix to the wine that you can taste?

For reference, when we went to Napa in 2009, we stayed at the Milliken Creek Inn. Also, when we were there, the wineries that I liked the best included Quintessa, Palmaz, Schramsberg, Paraduxx, Pride and Frank Family.

Last time we were in Napa (May), we stayed at Calistoga Ranch, and loved it. May prove cost prohibitive for accomodations for 6, though. I would recommend staying in either Calistoga or Healdsburg (although not close to each other), for pretty much the same reasons as Leleboo. If you liked Frank Family, you might also like Harris Estate, Venge, O'Shaunessy (sp?) for Cabs, and Failla, and my personal favorite, Copain, for pinot / syrah.

I'm hopefully meeting a friend who's in town for brunch Sunday morning, probably around 10. She's staying at the Hyatt near the Convention Center and flying out of National at 2 pm. A place by her hotel would be easiest, and I think they would need to take rez since she's got to get to the airport. Any suggestions?

Cafe du Parc could work. Not too far, open early, and takes reservations. Poste would also be an option.

I don't write often on this board b/c it seems over the course of last year or so there are several members that are SO quick to jump down others throats and sling wild accusations. I understand that the board is not just about food and what it tasted like to us and that it is by definition an opinion website, but for petes sake, can't people just chill the f out.

This was the case for me until I discovered how to ignore users...

Too bad about Mendocino on several levels. I, for one, enjoyed my meals there, as well as the Sunday night 50% off wine special.

I think Charlie Palmer offers free corkage on up to two domestic USA bottles per table.

This is true, and they will waive further corkage for larger parties with advance notice, in my experience.

We are thinking about staying at the Goodstone Inn in April. Accomodations and food? Thanks.

The Goodstone is great. We were there relatively recently, and rented the Manor House for a long weekend. Can't speak to rooms in general, but the manor house was spectacular. Since Chef King had left, the food is somewhat less ambitious, but still good. The setting is fantastic, and the wine list is also solid. I would definitely stay there over any other spots in Middleburg, but might try Ashby Inn for dinner since Chef King is there now (and it's not too far away, I don't think).

PX is only open Weds thru Saturday and you have to call or email for a reservation first.

Thanks! That's what I get for spending 99.8% of my time in the district...

Exceptional experiences all in one location in NOVA to me would be: Restaurant Eve (awesome drinks afterwards a plus), Trummer's on Main (they have a beautiful bar downstairs) and 2941 in terms of ambiance although I think it is a bit pricey for what you get.

In you wanted to do Eventide for drinks you could go Lyon Hall for dinner perhaps.

In the case of Eve, is PX open for drinks during the week? If so, the Eve / PX combo would be great.

From what I've gleaned doing internet research, Tacos Impala is only here temporarily until Philadelphia Water Ice is back in season. True?

Falling stars are wondrous when you see them; I hate the thought that I'll never see them again.

Cheers,
Rocks

That's true. I'd heard that they were looking for a more permanent location, but as of now looks like they will be gone come spring.

I live in Arlington and hardly ever venture out to DC anymore for my Saturday dining due to the tough parking situation.

At the risk of sounding like a typical district resident, why not either use Metro or take a cab? Or metro one way and cab back? That way, no need to search for parking spots, or limit yourself to places that have valet.

Why is it second class citizen treatment? Because you cannot order from the regular restaurant menu? Sure the service is a bit shaky, but the food is still good. The cafe menu is rather expansive now and certainly offers some delicious food.

From most of the talk here you would think all they serve is a hamburger and roasted chicken. There are 21 other items on the menu.

Agreed. Although I enjoyed the old cafe and the option of ordering off the back room menu, all the consternation over the "new cafe" seems odd to me, particularly given the logistics involved with both kitchens.

Not right now, but this evening I will raise a glass to Sargent Shriver.

So we're thinking of five or six days in San Francisco in January (unless we blow the budget surplus on Fifth Gear). What restaurants should we go to? These days I'm really off formal dining and tasting menus; if I were visiting DC I'd skip Komi, Cityzen, Citronelle, etc. in favor of places like the (old) cafe at Palena and the bar at Restaurant Eve - really good cooking without any fuss. No big-name chefs or molecular gastronomy or four-hour blowout meals. Just good, honest food.

I'm late to this, so my apologies, but Range certainly has what you are looking for....

We've been a half dozen times since DC-3 has opened. As Shaggy said upthread, it's a perfect spot for a quick, cheap weekend lunch. The Jersey ripper is excellent, as is the half smoke, which is a good bit spicier than what one gets at Ben's...

As with almost any restaurant on Barracks row, DC-3 can be crowded, but they are already pretty efficient, so our waits have always been minimal, rarely topping 10 minutes for food.

To Bill Meehan and Richard Keane.

Gratitude should not be given with an expectation of reciprocation...

Agreed. Reminds me a bit of either Pee Wee's Playhouse or Big Adventure (can't remember which), where Pee Wee starts sending thank you notes for thank you notes in an effort to get more mail. I could understand quick answer to a question if asked, but I would not expect anything else.

The restaurant opens at 6. Does the lounge open at the same time or earlier? If earlier, does it serve food earlier? Does the dress code apply to the lounge?

The dress code does not apply to the lounge (or at least it didn't ). Not sure on the opening time,in that you might be able to order drinks at the bar prior to 6, but I believe food service in the lounge begins at 6.

seems... think ...something... seem...seem to range... range... presumably... might be.. .imagine... potential .

Not for nothing, but if I was a local business owner and my pricing was discussed on line, in such vague and general terms, by folks with (by and large) no view into the costs associated with producing said product, I would scream. I've noticed this trend in the Cap Hill SE thread as well, particularly re: Ted's, but whatever. Yes, some places are more expensive than others. Yes, a TGI McFunster's in Des Moines will often be cheaper than a locally owned restaurant, particularly in a major metropolitan area. A restaurant, even a pizzeria, that aims to use the best ingredients and offer diners something better/ different than one could get elsewhere may be more expensive than others in their genre. This is news?

I look forward to trying Orso.