Marty L.

the onglet is the only one I remember for a fact was gone from this iteration of the RtC menu

I hope you're kidding or that you overlooked it. The single best thing about RtC is the onglet -- the last two times I've ordered it, just about the platonic ideal of what hangar should be.

I could travel the world over and not have a more satisfying dinner than that shared with my wife on the patio at Palena last night. We consumed a beautiful heirloom tomato salad, a mind blowing bowl of the pot au feu, a plate of absurdly delicious corn ravioli (topped with crab), and, of course, the greatest roast chicken on the planet. Accompanied by a 2001 Rochioli East Block Pinot it was utter perfection. Two notes - first, the pot au feu is a spectacular summerized version of the amazing winter/spring consomme that sometimes adorns the Cafe menu. Second, 3 years ago I had Andrew Carmellini's corn ravioli at A Voce - it was the highlight of that particular dinner by one of NYC's greatest chefs. Chef Ruta's are better.

Stopped by late Monday with visions of pot au feu or Roman bread soup (or both?!). Heart sank when neither was on the Monday menu. And then proceeded to have the best two dishes I've had anywhere this summer -- the corn/crab ravioli ("absurdly delicious" is just about right) and the salad of "various path valley beans" with a "mortar-crushed" dressing of almonds, anchovy, and truffle and -- the topper -- crispy fried testa. Just perfect.

I would worry about whether Frank Ruta will be able to sustain this level of excellence once the place expands (perhaps mid-September), except that I've never seen any indication that he'd allow such a thing to happen -- whether or not this is the best restaurant in DC, it's hard to imagine it's not the most consistently satisfying. (And word is the new kitchen will have a wood-burning oven . . . ).

This carryout order . . . consisted of two piles of boiled rice and french fries on the bottom, topped with a relatively small spoonful of chorellana (cooked onions, tomatoes, and peppers), topped again with a huge steak - itself nearly the size of the square styrofoam container - and then topped again with two fried eggs (hard when I got around to eating them, alas). Accompanied by a little tub of salsa verde and a large dinner roll (!), this platter weighed several pounds . . . .

Aren't you forgetting something? . . . . How was it?! (and how would you rank it vis-a-vis the other NoVa Bolivian joints?)

I'm in Tysons so the pickings are slim to none.

How about Shamshiry, just five minutes away? Or Woo Lae Oak (which I've heard is designed for just such business lunches)?

Which sounds more appetizing? I have to do a business lunch here and would like to try one of these as an appetizer.

Honestly, I can think of few things less appetizing than spending $20 at Chef Geoff's for a lobster roll -- unless it's spending $16 for an appetizer of fish tacos there. I've never had anything good there -- and those prices are ridiculous. (In fairness, I learned my lesson and haven't been there in at least two years, so i't always possible things have changed.) My advice would be to lower your expectations (i.e., don't come in with any -- then the best case scenario would be a pleasant surprise), or to pick a different spot for your lunch.

Remind me to go more often, please.

Sam: Go more often. Invite us. Glad I could be of service.

Really, Portland has a shockingly high awesome-restaurant-per-capita index.

You got that right. Were that DC had, for instance, even one of the many places in Portland where one can find a fabulous breakfast.

And you're absolutely right about Caiola's. I've only been once, but it seemed to me to be the ideal neighborhood restaurant. Too bad that when I lived next door to the building 20 years ago it wasn't there (although the West End was -- and it was no slouch, either).

Wow. A great coffee shop and in such a great location. I love the Nickels Arcade.

Smokey: Are you in AA these days?

I apologize if there's already a topic on this market, but I don't think there is.

A new, not-too-huge but very nice, Saturday morning market in the Hardy Middle School parking lot, across from the Safeway that's being redone.

A few stands selling nice variety of summer fruits and vegetables. Hondo Coffee Co, which seems to be a roaster in Manassas, selling beans and ground coffee. A very friendly woman selling her awesome pound cakes. Other stuff too.

Definitely worth checking out.

link

Thanks, Sam. Very nice neighborhood spot. And yes, the pound cakes are very good -- but they're $55 apiece (and six dollars a slice)! That's seriously oout of whack, no? Really, shouldn't they be about half that price (which would still fairly pricey as pound cakes go)?

This is a great find. Delicious pulled pork and chicken. (Ron was out of ribs by 3:00.) Worth changing your route to swing by here. He says that he's now open on Saturdays and Sundays from very early in the a.m. until things run out. Greatest Maine Lobster Co. is there, too, but Crystal's Cookies is no longer.

Those Pizze look like Sh!t. Sorry. I admit to taking a half hour break today-it's been a very long week. Please allow me to make it up to you.

Thanks.

Even though Eden himself did not make my pizzas last night (the last of the evening, apparently), they both looked and tasted great -- using only the very few ingredients left in the joint (ricotta, rapini, capers, olives, sausage) after they had been cleaned out by the mad Sunday night rush!

(If I had to complain about anything, it would be that although the veggies in the frito misto were delicious, they were a bit overwhelmed by a not-delicate-enough deep-fry. But that's a quibble -- something that can be easily tweaked.)

Apparently it is no more.

5. Asparagus with Roasted Peppers and Egg ($6) - A rather boring dish, looking almost like a three-bean salad but having a very neutral, dull flavor that even an egg couldn't save.

Try the fried asparagus on the "small plates" list -- my family fights over the stalks this time of year. The fava bean crostini have also been great lately. And the ice cream, of course . . . .

And yes, all four (?) of the regular staff at the bar are just about the perfect neighborhood hosts, and enthusiasts for all the great food and drink there.

Not quite.

http://attackerman.firedoglake.com/2010/04/25/a-culinary-shonda/

Full Kee wonton noodle soups with roast pork are fantastic! We almost exclusively go there for that. Both at Bailey's and Chinatown, although when we eat at the Chinatown Full Kee we normally bring guests, so we order quite a bit more off the menu. Good stuff in general tho, I highly recommend.

You get it with the wontons, noodles, and roast pork? If so, I'll haev to try that, although it seems like a bit much.

BTW, the BC and H Street locations are no longer related, although they both derive from a common previous owner.

We spent a week in Rome with a couple of kids, so we saw a lot of pizza. Not once did it come sliced. Then again, 2 Amys is not in Italy.

Yes, I suppose it's partly because "when in Rome . . .," but I imagine it's also because the Romans do it for a reason, and Peter Pastan has concluded that the reason is a good one. Just guessing here as to what that reason might be, but I think it's that the pizza loses its heat much quicker once it's sliced. I never get my pizza cut when it's to go, because if it's sliced then by the time it gets home it has lost all its luster.

Sam, I'm sorry you've experienced surly waitstaff -- a complaint I hear often. Odd thing that is, because I find the staff at 2 Amys to be uniformly the friendliest and most helpful of any restaurant I know. Perhaps it's because we're there about ten times a month, but we always receive stellar and gracious service. That's why I think of it as the very best sort of neighborhood restaurant. Latest revelations: pancetta on the margherita; eggplant parm; pork loin panini; fava bean crostini; walnut-caramel and pineapple ice creams. Can't wait to try the octopus salad and the fennel dish. Oh, and the rotating draft beers are great, too.

As of a couple of weeks ago it was all waffles, but that includes the Chicken and Waffles, as well as eggs with toast in the form of faux waffles. Very good for what it is, but I do miss the broader range of brunch items from CK, especially the catfish

Has anyone been for Sunday brunch? Is it crowded (so arrive early)? Is it still a waffles-only menu? I found an old brunch menu online and am very excited about the fried chicken and waffles, but can't tell if that's still an option.

Thanks.

DC

Any dishes in particular you'd recommend?

Since the closing of Le Paradou, I've nervously had The Source ranked over Rasika in the Dining Guide as the best restaurant in Penn Quarter. After tonight, I'm no longer all that nervous.

Cheers,

Rocks.

The lamb karahi last night, ordered medium-spicy, was every bit as great as the one I had two nights before. This dish (also the Mughaz Masala ($21.99, lamb-brain karahi)) is off-the-charts.

I, too, adore RK. But my recent visits to Kabob 'n' Karahi have convinced me that Ravi's lamb karahi is "merely" the second-best in town. Be curious to hear your thoughts once you've compared.

2.5 stars from Tom.

OK, Ill chime in. I agree with Mr Slater Central's corned beef is a contender in any deli world. for a bit of a travel go to Attman's in Baltimore 4th generation family owned ( from scratch) deli. Now to address the deli topic. IN MY OPINION unfortunately the majority of "deli's" clients are aging. Go into any deli at dinner and you'll see what I mean. You can't make enough money at lunch only, even downtown to suppport any type of profit given the horrible , notorious low yields of deli food. (if youve evern cleaned a brisket you see my point almost 30% of its weight goes in the trash can before cooking) so with DC rents as high as they are, no one really willing to pay 20.00 for a sandwich, and little dinner business makes it a very tough spot to be in. Im talking of course of a "textbook tradional jewish deli". sure there can be sandwich variations like G st etc, but that concept hasnt proven the test of time, like a solid traditional deli outpost. Go to Parkway in Silver Spring that should put it all in a nutshell. RIP Traditional Jewish Delis outside of NY.

This sounds absolutely right. So perhaps the only hope is to have a fabulous deli *inside of* something a bit larger and more diverse -- that is to say, Zingerman's. Z's opened when I was a student in Ann Arbor in 1983, and it really seemed to me to be the wave of the future. It's still going strong -- much stronger, actually, if now a bit overpriced -- but as far as I know no one has tried to duplicate it anywhere else in the country. Why not?

I just noticed that Teaism's Penn Quarter location has udon noodle soup on its menu. Has anyone tried it? I've been there tons of times, but have never noticed that they had soup.

It's fine, but not as good as the ochazuke.

I`d like to get everybodys attention to Eola.

My first visit was last night (with my wife) and it was awesome.

We had the tasting menu which is 6 courses and asked if they can do 2 different menus for us so we sample more of the food and they did. I noticed some of the food on the menu but most of them was created by Chef Daniel Singhofen on the spot. Overall we had a very nice, calm and relaxed dinner. The best course for me was a `sous vide rabbit` and apple sorbet was excellent. The rest of the meal was very good as well.

From a tiny kitchen Chef can put out great food. Service was excellent provided by Dan.

I believe once they settle in more they will have a very successful restaurant.

Concur. At least until the neighborhood finds out about it, it's a very serene oasis, with excellent food from a kitchen dedicated to the farm-to-table ethos. Had several of the appetizers last night -- all successful; the pork belly and the salsify a great way to welcome Fall. The breads are excellent, too -- and the dessert twist on PB&J (really). Eager to return for the tasting menu; apparently the Chef changes it up on a daily basis. Go now, before the crowds come (which could be as soon as Wednesday).

Planning to check it out tomorrow - anyone know the extent of food offerings (either breakfast-y and/or lunch items)? Thx!