Marty L.

They're now selling pizzas on Thursdays. Had a (very small) slice for $5 yesterday--fine, but nothing special. Somewhat underseasoned, I thought. Whole pies are selling for . . . wait for it . . . twenty-eight dollars.  I think I'll just leave it at that.  I don't assume they're trying to gouge anyone or that they're making far greater profits than other places, and I certainly wish them no ill (to the contrary--like Don, I admire them for "sticking to their guns" and doing it their way), but it'd have to be the Platonic ideal of pizza to justify paying those prices.  It's not.

Haven't read it yet, but thought I'd get it out there.

"The Inside Story of Mike Isabella's Fallen Empire" by Jessica Sidman and Anna Spiegel on washingtonian.com

On 1/29/2018 at 7:14 AM, porcupine said:

Interesting. I don't doubt what you say, but Grace Street is my favorite coffee shop, largely because it's one of only three I know of that consistently produces an excellent cortado (my espresso beverage of choice, and one easily messed up). The other two are Filter (Dupont location) and The Wydown. There are so many variables involved in producing an espresso drink that even a great shop bombs once in awhile.

If you like a cortado, try the Gibraltar at Blue Bottle--my favorite coffee drink.

2 hours ago, curiouskitkatt said:

They have reopened.

 

Had a very fine meal there last week.  Great to have them back.  (Go early or risk being frozen out.)

Devastating.

38 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

I saw Neil Young with Jon Karl at GWU awhile back.

(First half - entirely acoustic; second half - entirely electric)

That's Robert Parker's favorite musician.

That 1989 performance -- 29 years ago (yeesh!) -- was one of his best, and one of the best rock performances ever on television (see also, e.g., Elvis 1968 "comeback" special; Leonard Cohen and Sonny Rollins on "Who by Fire?"; Patti Smith singing "Free Money" on the Mike Douglas Show (really!); Bruce on SNL doing "Lucky Town"; Fleetwood Mac "Rhiannon" on Midnight Special; Beasties/Elvis C. on SNL).  Charlie Drayton and Steve Jordan weren't weighed down by a history with him and pushed him farther than his usual intensity!  NY later told how he worked out with a trainer immediately before going onstage to simulate the adrenaline of a concert encore.

10 minutes ago, DonRocks said:

The problem is (and I'm certain you know this and were being polite) that the flaws you cited aren't indicative of an "off-day," but something much more fundamental than that.

The upbeat news is that you're no longer Satan. 😋

I hate posting negative reviews of family joints such as this.  Indeed, not sure I shoulda done so here -- after all, no Rockwellian would spend more than $20 checking it out.

So, perhaps:  Don't feel like Satan but I am to them [?].
 

Prompted by Tim Carman's partial rave, I checked out this tiny Vietnamese joint on Sherman Avenue.  Ordered the bún riêu with shrimp and squid.  Unfortunately, I can't recommend.  The broth was just bland--no crab and tomato flavor, no funk at all.  The noodles weren't anything notable, and the squid and shrimp were frozen and flavorless.  Doesn't hold a candle to the soups at, e.g., Mi La Cay in Wheaton, esp. the similar M9 (assuming that remains its menu designation).

Also, the soda chanh was meh, at best.

I hope it was simply an off-day--the family who runs it seems very nice, and dedicated.

Just wanted to post a reminder that this small, oddly-placed spot, although nothing earth-shattering, remains incredibly consistent and probably has the best food to be found in all of Gaithersburg, with the possible exception of Tortacos.  (Am I overlooking anything?)

Just wanted to post a reminder that this small, family-run joint is a gem -- extraordinarily consistent, and very reasonably priced.

On 10/8/2018 at 10:49 AM, FranklinDubya said:

I would've personally still picked Komi over P&P but if reviewed I'm sure it'll get a similarly high rating.

Don't be silly. Kuya Ja and Little Havana are far better than Komi.  (Just teasing, Tom.  But you really ought to be clearer about what it is you're doing.)

14 hours ago, Steve R. said:

As planned, we ate at the bar last night & reacquainted ourselves with Andrew, Dean & Kay.  All were great to see and talk to again.   Nice to see that Hawaiian shirts are still in vogue 😎.  And, since it was Sunday night, there were a ton of excellent "Happy Hour" specials offered (& accepted).  Half price on good wines had us drinking a very nice bottle of Sagrantino throughout dinner.  We started with an order of the deviled eggs w/prosciuotto (these are very nice) and a full charcuterie board of 5 excellent meats, olives & some cheese.  These were not the usual slices of cold cuts that I'm used to (& would've expected and accepted), but 4-5 pieces each of interesting & tasty stuff - pork shoulder pate, tongue, testa, pate w/ginger slices & duck - all of which was top notch.  At full price, I think this is a no brainer to order -- at $10 its a steal.  We then moved on to a half order of boar w/pappardelle (for me) and spinach/cheese cannelloni (Ginny).  Both were excellent as well. Writing this, it doesn't seem like we ate a lot -- however, eating it all wasn't easy, as this was a lot of food.  I remembered the old location fondly and I'll remember this one even more so.  The place was busy, both upstairs and down but, looking around, it seemed like folks were content to order mussel pots (which looked great) & other food without really paying much attention to what's being served here & why it stands out.  We get that in Brooklyn a lot -- tons of red sauce places serving decent tasting Italian food that was probably made well in advance from standard ingredients by reasonably competent kitchens, served straight from the microwave to folks who like it well enough & accept it without much thought.  However, Dino's, like a couple of favorites of ours at home, is doing something significantly different, serving much better tasting food which, importantly, comes from fresh, well sourced ingredients and is prepared/presented with a much higher level of skill and care.  And they're doing it at a price point that makes it look "normal" & may not easily stand out.  If I lived in the area, it'd be a once/week dinner place for us minimum.  As it should be for any food loving person in Shaw and surrounding communities.   Not that they made any $$ on us eating there on a Sunday & would be patiently waiting for us to make a return visit to D.C., but we're going to seriously consider more than a once in 7 years return & live vicariously through you all in between.

Concur. Just had the (excellent) mussels and wine last night (Sundays and Mondays the mussels are half-price), along with an excellent caesar salad, tomato/melon gazpacho and a bargain-priced Negroni, and it was a steal--probably the best bargain within miles.  What's not to like?  

Does anyone have the faintest idea what he's doing with this list? Surely he doesn't mean Ten Best, or even his Ten Favorites.  At first I thought it was something like his top 10 most exciting openings of 2018, but nope, not that either.  I'm a bit confused, not that it much matters.

As for their merits, the only one from ##3-10 at which I had a great meal this year was Spoken English, FWIW.  (My most recent meal at Hitmitsu was good, not great, and not quite worth the $$.  But I've been wowed there in the past.)  I haven't been to Three Blacksmiths or Centrolina. 

10 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

Thanks Marty -- definitely have heard about Rose Foods. And if Drifter's Wife is teaming up with TUG, that's a place I'd probably like!

As for Eventide, they certainly don't need our business, but everyone should try that brown butter lobster roll at least once. Of course, you'll definitely find people who say that Fore Street is resting on its laurels these days too.

One more note: High Roller Lobster Co is getting a lot of buzz these days, but we've found the lobster rolls to be nothing special and possibly benefiting from the lack of real competition in the Old Port area.

I didn't like the brown butter lobster roll at all--gimmicky and not worth the $$, kinda like Cronuts.This might be the best lobster roll in the area, and it has the added virtue of being located in Ft. Williams Park!

38 minutes ago, DaveO said:

OMG:  I just had a great burger at Ray's.   Its around the corner from where I work and I'll be pumping out communications later  this eve so I thought I'd fortify.

Back to the burger:   Blue cheese, spicy, crusty--OMG   An absolutely superb burger.   11 bucks.  An 8 ounce juicy killer of a burger.  

Downtown or Roslyn?

9 hours ago, Bob Wells said:

Hi Team -- Just discovered this thread. I am really up on the Portland (and Maine in general) restaurant scene. We go up there at least once every summer and sometimes twice, and I have several partners in crime (brothers and friends) who are equally food-centric. I can help with any price point, cuisine, locale, etc.

Regarding the places mentioned in this thread, I have been to and can give thumbs up to: Duckfat, Fore St, Street & Co, Two Fat Cats (NB: while the highly touted whoopie pies are perfectly fine, the fruit pies are outstanding), Bite Into Maine, Eventide, Miyake, Micucci's, Becky's, and Hot Suppa!

Here are a few more places just off the top of my head that Portland-bound Rockwellians should consider: Palace Diner in Biddeford (a must), Scratch Bakery and 158 Pickett Street Cafe in South Portland, Black Dinah Chocolates in Westbrook, OTTO Pizza (several area locations), Day's Seafood in Yarmouth, and in Portland: Standard Baking Company (literally below Fore St), Belleville Bakery, Paciarino, Gelato Fiasco, and one of the most beautiful Whole Foods you'll ever see. Coffee By Design is my non-Starbucks choice but the city is loaded with interesting coffee places.

If you want to try one of Maine's famous Italian sandwiches, Amato's and Anania's are safe choices. Italians should not vary too much from place to place; they have a very standard list of ingredients.

Places in Portland I have not been to but definitely are on my radar screen include Emilitsa, Central Provisions, Petite Jacqueline, Slab, and Piccolo.

This is just for Portland and the nearby towns.

We are actually sort of kind of considering getting a little place on Peaks Island in Casco Bay at some point. Just love the area.

Central Provisions is great.  As is Drifter's Wife (special joint dinner with Tail Up Goat tomorrow!).  And Rose Foods is a surprisingly terrific bagel & smoked fish place (not quite Russ & Daughters quality, but not too far off).  I know it's a minority viewpoint, but I've found Eventide rather disappointing--resting on laurels (and long lines) perhaps?

3 hours ago, DonRocks said:

Marty, did you have them as part of the regular menu, or as part of this mysterious menu?

I've had them as comps during the meal.  The new "mysterious" menu is designed for those waiting for a table.

3 hours ago, guanabana said:

Has anyone been here lately and noticed a small snack menu near the business cards at the podium? I quickly scanned this thread and didn't see any mention. I had dinner here a few weeks ago and it wasn't handed out at the table/counter so they're probably not supplements to the set menu. I remember asking about it on my way out but can't remember the answer. Maybe it's for guests waiting for their tables to clear? Or takeout?

Very short menu:

kanom bung na gapi (shrimp toast) $7pp   <--- YASSS

prik gluea (sour fruit + salted chili) $4pp

khai luk khoei (son-in-law eggs) $4pp

Have had the first two--both delicious.

8 minutes ago, Ericandblueboy said:

I haven't been to BDT in years and have never been to Plume.  I don't know who even goes to Siren - the posts are few and far in between.  I'll add that to the list of Michelin one star joints that no one seems to go to.

And of course Bad Saint and Little Serow deserve stars--but I'm also sure neither cares.

Are the only real surprises here that Blue Duck Tavern and Plume continue to receive a star and that Komi and Metier only get one?

End of an era, and of a singular vision.
 

11 minutes ago, sandynva said:

 Has anyone been able to find a menu online? Very excited about this,  and I hope they do carry out! 

I've done carry-out -- very good.  But you have to eat the homemade noodles shortly after picking up -- they coagulate.

9 hours ago, Sluggo said:

I went too.  It's a little hard to arrive at the Taco Bamba sign, prominently displayed on eye street, and go around the corner into the discreet Poca Madre entrance.  The sign was pulling me in.

I like the idea though.  Kind of like 'party in the front, business in the back,'  a fine dining option next door.  I would not have minded if I could order pozole from next door though.

For the food, I agree with Rieux.  I enjoyed the risotto and the hamachi crudo.  The duck tacos were good, but dry and I was left wanting more to add to them.  Liked 'The King" burrito. It arrives on an Elvis plate (old rhinestone elvis), which is a nice touch.  It comes as two pieces that are easy to split with someone.  The ingredients made it seem a little silly to me at first, but it was darned delicious.  

The service was bumpy - forgotten entree and drink order, a spill, slow - but despite this I enjoyed it and the food.

Unless they've made a recent change, the posole is not available at the D.C. location of Bamba.

1 hour ago, Bob Wells said:

This had flop written all over it. It's a beautiful space (or spaces) that clearly cost millions to build out, yet when I saw the prices, combined with the weird set-up, I knew it would be a tough sell in the long run. $4.50 for one scoop of ice cream? NFW.

I agree with the general assessment.  Unfortunately, however, $4.50 for a single scoop of ice cream is now below what most good shops are charging.

It's on the Washingtonian's Top 100 Cheap Eats list and, not surprisingly, the Yelp reviews are all over the lot.  Anyone been?  Worthwhile?  Recs?