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Tujague

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  1. Tujague
    Bistro Bis has it on the lunch and brunch menus for $18.50--seared fancy-dancy tuna and all--but I haven't had it so can't vouch for the quality. Montmartre used to have an excellent version but not anymore, apparently.
  2. Tujague
    Interesting; so perhaps seating eight at the six-top is in fact a common practice? I doubt they put two four-tops together (or four two-tops). I guess, then, that if you really want to try this, be sure you can have all of your party there on time, hope there aren't any other large parties ahead of you, and have a back-up plan. (But don't cancel an eight-seat reservation on OpenTable at the last minute, unless you want Dean Gold to hunt you down and fry your ass on his grill.) But why take a chance on a special occasion? Better to relax, and let your group of friends determine what makes for a happy birthday, not the specific venue. (And DO have a happy birthday!)
  3. Tujague
    I suppose you could ask, but, really, why? For such an overwhelmingly popular place that doesn't take reservations, Rose's is a very hospitable restaurant, but that doesn't mean that one should take unwanted advantage of that hospitality. If they really wanted to serve tables of 8 people, they would have a table for 8--but they don't, except when the roof garden is open, and it's likely not a precedent they want to set that other people will routinely expect if they accommodate you. And also don't assume that your spontaneous adding of two people to a table won't cause issues with their service, particularly in a place that is so routinely jammed (or even that their being "okay" with your crashing the six-top was anything more than mere politeness). Respect their hospitality, err on the side of common courtesy, and go elsewhere. Obviously, you want to be regarded as a good diner, not an entitled one. There are plenty of great places that can readily accommodate your party of eight (Red Hen? Mintwood Place?), will be glad to do so, and where that won't be potentially disruptive to the staff and other patrons.
  4. Tujague
    To Ben Bradlee.
  5. Tujague
    The title for the online article is entirely different--and, I agree, much lamer--from the print version ("She keeps it simple. And we eat it up."). And, yes, the article really has nothing to do with food per se, but with an approach/view of life grounded in gratitude. "Hagerty purposely chooses the community over the individual. She doesn't feel the need to be relevant in a culture that prizes celebrity. . . . [Her] critics, I suspect, don't understand the mentality of a certain generation of Midwesterners raised to be thankful for what they have, no matter how meager. They embrace life on its own terms, not on how they wish it to be." Yeah, that's something I recognize from the family I grew up with back in Iowa--and my own tendency to live apart from that attitude too often. And, Don, I think that valuing of community is precisely one of the reasons you created and maintain this site, and one of the reasons we are all grateful for you and what you do.
  6. Tujague
    Tim Carman's assessment of Marilyn Hagerty--notorious for her much-talked-about review of Olive Garden--is a lovely, perceptive, and humbling piece. As a child of the Upper Midwest, this resonates with me, not least his closer: "I think we both admire (and, likely, loathe) Hagerty for her ability to appreciate what life places on her table, day after day after day, without complaint. This is a kind of grace that few of us will ever possess."
  7. Tujague
    He acknowledges much the same about Blue Duck Tavern in this week's review, whose chef is still settling in; there are some old favorites that seem to be in transition. What's shocking here is his appraisal of Restaurant Eve. These don't even sound like "near-misses," as the article title suggests. I'd be curious to hear more about the absence also of places like Kapnos, Ghibellina, Casa Luca, Roberto's 8, Isakaya Seki, Ambar, and Aggio, which he earlier praised.
  8. Tujague
    A 1996 City Paper review of Coppi's Vigorelli by the estimable Brett Anderson; I got a kick out of this: "excellent martinis are served to waiting patrons. And they're not cheap. 'Two drinks and a glass of wine is $17?' my friend gasps as she settles the pre-meal tab. 'Whoa.'" Anderson: "The only time I'd strayed from pizza in the past was to order the calzone alla Nutella, a ridiculously rich dessert that consists of crust and a chocolate-and-hazelnut goop so luscious my friend claims he'd lick it off an old shoe."
  9. Tujague
    Yes! That's it--thank you! I'm not up in CP often enough to remember what's up there these days. I don't think I ever ate at Coppi's on U Street, but Vigorelli was pretty good as I recall, so this is a nice "return" for them.
  10. Tujague
    No, Aroma's not what I'm thinking of, but damned if I can remember the name. All I recall is that it was in the middle of the block with a rooftop dining area, and had a rather rustic dining room.
  11. Tujague
    This may be slightly off-topic, but what was the Italian restaurant that used to be in that same string of businesses of Cleveland Park, circa 1998-99 (I think maybe in the space that is now Ripple or Spices)? Was that a Coppi's? I seem to recall that they also had a sister restaurant in the U Street corridor, but I'm blanking on the name. I recall having a few enjoyable meals on the rooftop there--one of my early favorites in DC.
  12. Tujague
    To my friend Shannon Craigo-Snell and her companions who are right now sitting in the back of a police van in Ferguson, Missouri, for the courage of their civil disobedience.
  13. Tujague
    . . . and to her co-recipient, Kailash Satyarthi. We may be missing the bigger story here: the selection of an Indian Hindu man and a Pakistani Muslim woman together--a profoundly subversive act given how any one of those differences--nationality, religion, gender--is a source of conflict in this world. So, yes, celebrate Malala, but look deeper--this is more than just an inspirational story about a tough-minded girl--it's about the larger issues that press on all of us.
  14. Tujague
    I have to agree with all this--we've been here twice now and have been impressed with the complex flavors and creative cooking. As Josh notes, the pad Thai is meh, but the pineapple fried rice is simple and satisfying for the less adventurous. Likewise, the Gai Tod (fried chicken with lemongrass) can easily hold its own with all-American versions--two large, perfectly cooked pieces cut in two, with a pair of flavorful house-made sauces in bottles on the side. And the Gaeng Hang Lay (curried pork belly with ginger and sticky rice) is outstanding--the sauce is almost like a spicy pork gravy. As noted above, cocktails are well-made and good-sized. The service is friendly, with the only major slip on both trips being a failure to bring plates for sharing dishes. I'm surprised this place isn't talked about more here--there's plenty here to appeal to those used to standard-order Thai restaurants as well as those seeking more authentic flavors--and in a very attractive setting. This is going in our regular rotation.
  15. Tujague
    I appreciated this article a lot, even if it did employ a few of his more annoying writing tics, and certainly didn't deserve front-page exposure. One issue, for me, is not small plates in and of themselves, but how (as Sietsema notes), there usually is no way to discern how well they might be divided between a set number of people, if that is how one chooses (or is encouraged) to dine. The guidance of "two to three plates per person" winds up being maddening, even for those who are accustomed to this sort of dining experience. And yes, the over-creativity of menu divisions and titles is wearying. Even at Rose's Luxury, it's hard to decide how to order, especially when the kitchen routinely (but not consistently) sends out complimentary dishes. This can also be tricky at Italian restaurants where it's not always clear how well the pasta course will serve as a main dish, or if it's best treated as a course between the starter and the main. And even many prix fixe menus can leave the diner wanting these days. I guess there's a reason that the old "Appetizer-Main-Dessert" paradigm has endured, despite all the efforts to up-end it.
  16. Tujague
    And to Steven Souza Jr. for helping him seal it with an incredible catch.
  17. Tujague
    Closing September 27. First I heard of it--did the lease get too expensive, and they decided not to renew it, as with Ten Penh? Or just not making money?
  18. Tujague
    In the Post article, linked above: "This was a relatively critical review, and any talk of it being anti-immigrant feels like an attempt to change the subject," [Kliman] told the Reliable Source, noting that he's written extensively about many cuisines and cultures in the region. "You'd have to really really search far and wide to find a critic who has spent more time immersing himself in [them], trying to give them the great due they deserve." Granted, I misread this slightly, thinking the bracketed "them" referred to immigrants. I don't doubt the general claim, and indeed respect it, but Tim Carman is certainly doing much the same thing through his Post column these days, and Tyler Cowen, while not a critic per se, probably has at least deep knowledge. So, just a tad obnoxiously stated; the self-exaltation was unnecessary to make his point.
  19. Tujague
    Agreed, though his comments on how much he, as opposed to other critics, spends time with immigrants to give notice to their work, while probably true, came across to me as a bit of self-back-patting. Also agreed. Saying someone needs an editor is to say that their writing or judgment may not be as perfect as they want to imagine it. That's the challenge that Kliman seems to hate--second-guessing on his writing from anyone, whether it be a superior, or an online commenter, anonymous or otherwise. (And, as an editor myself, I know how imperfect we can be in our judgments!) Of course, perhaps that WAS the editorial decision made--i.e., perhaps it's the editor that is removing this information, not Tom who isn't writing about it, in which case perhaps you unknowingly called out the wrong person. Since his reviews appear in the magazine, ad space sold may play a larger role than in other Post venues in how his columns get edited and what gets cut. People always ask him about his reviewing practices, but no one seems to ask him about how the ensuing editing practices.
  20. Tujague
    A curious controversy about Kliman's review. While I would agree it's rather overblown, Kliman's fabled prickliness about being criticized certainly comes out in his response. On the other hand, in today's chat, Sietsema took heat for his modest but positive review of the place, which provoked his own prickly (but kind of funny) response. While I haven't been to the latest iteration, I think that both reviews have validity based on what I recall from the Penn Quarter locale, and on what seems to be carried over to Tysons. Tom spins more positive, Todd more negatively, but between them they seem to capture the problems and promises of this venture. As I noted above, the concept and the food itself too often seem to do each other a disservice, even when the latter is decent.
  21. Tujague
    But be warned, if you were planning to go tomorrow (Wednesday) to congratulate them.
  22. Tujague
    My friend Margaret Kelly is a truly remarkable young woman living in St. Paul who has created Shobi's Table--a unique twist on the food-truck trend as a way to feed the homeless and hungry there and serve her church. Even those who may not be interested in religious practice should find this story from today's St. Paul Pioneer-Press to be intriguing and inspiring (and maybe someone will be moved to try something similar here?). I am so proud of her great heart and faith and in awe of her profound gifts of compassion and service. (FYI, Margaret has a DC connection in that she interned at Lutheran Church of the Reformation on Capitol Hill about five years ago.)
  23. Tujague
    A lovely birthday dinner for Bob here tonight, our first visit here (I don't know why it didn't register with me before that it's only a few blocks off of our regular bus ride on the 96). Our cocktails were terrific; "The Big Kahuna Cooler" features madeira, Dolin blanc, and mint/tarragon, served up, and is luscious; Bob's "All the Best Diseases Are Taken," with rye, lemon bitters, and Amere Sauvage Gentian Liqueur, had a bit more of an anise flavor. The only issue with the heirloom tomato crostini with smoked ricotta (two large pieces), is that the ricotta really didn't taste all that smoky. On the other hand, the heirloom beet salad with wheatberries, pistachios, caper vinaigrette, and smoked mozzarella was a terrific variation on what has become hackneyed (LOTS of wheat berries, but again, the cheese didn't seem especially smoky). I went for the wood-roasted chicken, now done in a "Fra Diavolo" style with kale and fingerlings; four small, moist thigh/leg combos, with a pleasant mild heat (sort of a sriracha flavor?). Bob had the black paccheri with calamari, another terrific combo. If there was a weak spot, it was with the lackluster dessert (peach crumble cake with pistachio ice cream), but good housemade ginepi and cherry brandy made up for that. Our server was attentive, but unfortunately was not up on the drinks menu, which meant he had to go back to answer some of our questions. I can understand the enthusiasm; this is a near-perfect neighborhood restaurant, and Bob had what I think was his most-enjoyed birthday dinners in years (and the lovely evening didn't hurt!). Count me pleased.
  24. Tujague
    To Lauren Bacall, unforgettable throughout her life, not least in this astonishing picture from last year.
  25. Tujague
    So, I'm taking Bob out to Red Hen tomorrow for his birthday--our first time there. Is there anything on the current summer menu that we shouldn't miss? Also, I gather from other posts that the pasta dishes are entree-sized, and so probably don't work as a second course before an entree? Drink recommendations?
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