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Marty L.

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Everything posted by Marty L.

  1. Marty L.
    I have the opposite concern--that the huge crush will overwhelm Seng and her kitchen (and/or lead to a watering down in Falls Church, which won't be so much my problem, since I'll frequent TK much more frequently); and that it'll be impossible to get a table. So far, so good, though; fingers crossed.
  2. Marty L.
    Thanks, Don. Looking forward to trying Soi 38. FWIW, no Thai food at Thip Khao (unlike Bangkok Golden) -- only Laotian. And yes, it's great (even if a *bit* less complex in spicing than I'd hoped . . . at least for now).
  3. Marty L.
    "We don't do specials because we change our menu daily." Perhaps peepers was referring to the three-course "Lunch Crush"? That's still available, no?
  4. Marty L.
    I can't add much to Laura's and Bart's accounts, which are spot-on. Our meal last Monday was similar, except with a delicious burrata instead of the root beer float, and a luxurious parsnip soup instead of cauliflower. Terrific, relaxing meal with a great host. Kudos!
  5. Marty L.
    Had the mole last night -- it was delicious. They had run out of posole and menudo, alas. Good news is that the place was packed on a Sunday at 7:30 -- it's been discovered, and thus should survive.
  6. Marty L.
    I arrived at 10:00 and waited five minutes. My impression is that on Fridays and Saturdays, if you don't mind eating at 9:30 or later, you can assure yourself of doing so by signing up before 6; and even if you don't, if you arrive at 9:30 or so, odds are very good they'll be able to squeeze you in (for a solo or two-top, anyway) before they shut down. Things are even more fluid on Tuesdays-Thursdays.
  7. Marty L.
    Oh, I agree --- it's not a comfort thing at all. I knew I'd be welcomed and made to feel at home. I only thought that there'd be *way* too much food for one person. But that was only a bit true -- I finished everything (eight courses, as it turned out) except about half the fish (and of course they served me a much smaller bass than was served at tables for two or four). A *lot* of food, but not unmanageable.
  8. Marty L.
    I did; and it was spectacular. The enthusiasm of everyone on the staff is palpable, genuine, and well-deserved: Johnny, Anne and their team (most of whom have been with them for a *long* time--the loyalty and continuity speak volumes, too) are doing something no one else in D.C. is, and virtually to perfection. There's good reason they're so enthused about sharing it with others. This was the best meal I've had a in long, long time. JCA76's description of it above is spot-on, except that I was even more enthusiastic about the gaap kai buu and khai luuk khoei. The spatlese was perfect. As was the soundtrack. And the service. When (not if) the seafood menu comes around again, you'd be crazy not to go. But please don't spread the word *too* indiscriminately--there are only so many seatings over the course of five days!
  9. Marty L.
    Is it crazy to go alone? -- I'd hate to let this menu go by, but am on my own tonight.
  10. Marty L.
    That's ok; even if places such as Bar Pilar, Ghibellina and Etto are priced out soon (which would be a shame), everyone can and should turn their attention a mile or two northward, to Mi Cuba Cafe, Thip Khao (opened yesterday) and Taqueria Habanero. Gentrification should take at least a few years to destroy that more northern stretch of 14th.
  11. Marty L.
    Yup, it's great. Try the huaraches next time -- addictive.
  12. Marty L.
    I'm sure it is; but fair warning: Chef Seng is in Laos this week, and will be focused on opening her new place in D.C. when she returns. Doesn't mean you won't get great Laotian food at BG; but the quality control *might* be a bit lower than usual.
  13. Marty L.
    Tried the new curry the other day. FIne as far as it goes, but I'll definitely stick with the original from now on.
  14. Marty L.
    My visit one year ago included these highlights (can't vouch for any changes since then, of course): -- dinner at Patois, a great neighborhood restaurant near Tulane. -- delicious breakfast at a Garden District cafe, Coulis, with wonderful, warm staff. (order the corned beef hash) -- Excellent meals at Cochon and Peche. At the latter, I sat at the oyster bar and let "Sam," who's been shucking bivalves for decades, entice me with amazing Texas and Louisiana specimens, and then recommend a wonderful dish of capellini and clams and chilies -- Mr. B's Bistro for a perfect sazerac (at half the price of what it costs in D.C.), and the renowned shrimp with bar-b-q sauce; it's not really barbeque sauce in any meaningful sense, but whatever the hell it is, it is incredible (and involves quite a bit of butter). At first I thought it was absurd that they served an entire baguette on the side . . . but now I know why. -- Best meal of my two days (which is saying something in light of the above): brunch at Coquette on Magazine Street
  15. Marty L.
    I don't blame RJ for taking whatever steps he did in response to this very public complaint, but boy, it does make me deeply uneasy about us--Rockwellians--posting here about lapses in service by particular employees. This guy failed to give attention to one customer for about twelve minutes . . . and it cost him his job, or some other "significant change" in his employment. As others have done in the past, I'd strongly recommend that if you have a concern about the service, or cooking, for that matter, during a particular visit to a restaurant, the better course is to bring it to the attention of management in the first instance, rather than posting here. It might be an aberration, or something easily remedied without any "significant" sanctions. The public exposure on a site such as this or Yelp or Chowhound, by contrast, is much more likely to result in a more extreme response, because proprietors are understandably eager to counter the damage that is done by the public critique.
  16. Marty L.
    Has he already departed? Where to? "Sting" doesn't begin to cover it. That was a match made in heaven (from the customer side, of things, of course).
  17. Marty L.
    Fresh Baguette in Bethesda [name corrected] also has a decent cannale; probably not quite BF level. (It's smaller.) I thought St. Michel's was the tops, though -- and best bargain, too.
  18. Marty L.
    I had been reluctant to post, but now that Laura has . . . we, too, had a fine but unremarkable meal at the Shack back in August. I hadn't posted earlier because it's obvious that everyone there, especially Ian, is working so hard, to create something different, even special. And since the menu changes every night, I imagine that some are special. But ours was rather ordinary. Nothing even close to, say, Red Hen or Rose's Luxury, or even the late and lamented Ruppert's, which this reminded me of. And not nearly as great as our meal on that same road trip at Knife & Fork in Spruce Pine, NC, which is another story . . . with some similarities to what Ian Boden is trying to do in Staunton. I decided to write because I'm not worried that posts such as this will possibly prevent them from filling the tables every evening -- nor should they. It's a terrific little place, almost surely the best within miles. If I lived nearby, I'd try to go as often as I could afford. And I'll bet that on some nights, the food is fantastic -- that Lori's and Waitman's accounts are dead-on accurate. Just trying to temper some of the outsized expectations here on the board, which aren't really fair to the Shack -- as the name suggests, its ambitions (like its kitchen!) are modest: it's not trying to be a world-class destination restaurant like Town House was. It's a bit hit-or-miss, I suspect . . . and I wouldn't be surprised if there are far more hits than misses. But better to think of it as a welcome and convivial oasis, rather than as the next coming of K-Paul's or Alinea.
  19. Marty L.
    I don't know if this should be posted in another forum; if so, please feel free to move it there (but let us know where!). Indeed, perhaps I shouldn't post it at all, since it's been hashed over before, to no avail . . . but just in case there's some play in the joints . . . Don, please (pretty please, with sugar on top) reconsider the "multiple listings" policy. Assuming my usage is at all representative of the Rockwellian norm, it's having really counterproductive effects. The way I use the Guide, 99% of the time, is that I find myself in, or headed to, a particular neighborhood or town, and depend upon the Guide to inform me of the worthwhile eats there. Some of the best places are invariably missing (Fishnet ain't even listed in College Park any more!), just because they happen to have one or more locations. Therefore, they do not become part of my planning, or my conversations with my companions about where to eat. And, as a result, we miss out on the best a neighborhood has to offer. At the very least, could you include in the neighborhood listings any spots that you praise with italics or better? Thanks so much.
  20. Marty L.
    I agree wholeheartedly. And, like Seki (I know, a very different thing altogether -- but likewise under the heading of great seafood), it's very reasonably priced, considering the high quality of food. Compare, for example, the new Pop's SeaBar, by the folks who run Cashion's Eat Place. It's trying to be a variant of Pearl Dive, and if last night's meal was any indication, it's perfectly fine -- I had a perfectly decent fried oyster sandwich. But it was nothing special; it was $12; and I counted only three or so oysters in it. All you need to know: They're charging $6 for a Natty Boh. At Eat the Rich, by contrast -- perhaps because of lower rental costs? -- the value for your $$ is very much on the plate, and in your glass.
  21. Marty L.
    Peter Chang is moving in there. "Taste of Saigon should be gone by November when Chang's team will take over the space and begin renovations. [Chang's partner] hopes to open the 80-seat restaurant by January, if everything proceeds smoothly."
  22. Marty L.
    Wish it were so -- I just tried again and they confirmed he wasn't working there.
  23. Marty L.
    Is the crust still whole grain (is that the right term?), that is, milled on-site with spelt -- and darker, chewier than 2 Amys? I enjoyed it the couple of times I was there, but the folks I was with weren't as keen on that particular crust.
  24. Marty L.
    Or the $11 glass of juice. It is truly amazing just how much people are willing to pay for beverages. Are the folks who own coffee/cocktail/juice places laughing all the way to the bank? Weren't they charging about 1/3 as much just a few years ago . . . and making a living? Or were they always just squeezing by, and only recently discovered what the market will bear?
  25. Marty L.
    The person on the phone just now said that Koji hadn't been there in a couple of days and she was not sure he's working there any more. If anyone learns more, please post.
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