xcanuck
-
Posts
984 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Articles
Dining Guide
Everything posted by xcanuck
-
http://thechesapeakeroom.com/index.htm They will open on Monday at the latest...possibly on Sat (according to person who I spoke to when I called) -
Addis Ababa, Downtown Silver Spring
xcanuck replied to rkduggins's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
Went here last night for dinner. It wasn't our first time and we've generally been pleased in the past. However, last night was abysmal. First of all, would it really be THAT hard to serve the food warm? Much of the food was bland, except for the yebeg wat which ended up having a jarring, sharp taste that I really didn't expect. It was almost as if the spices had been used "raw". Much of the yebeg was left on the plate. I noticed that the upstairs dining area was composed by about 80% non-Ethiopians (mostly large groups with children). The only Ethiopians I saw were NOT eating - just drinking and chatting. Hrmmm......wonder what THAT says? Next time, we'll go to Abol on Colesville Rd. -
We went last night with a group of friends with the intention of just having a drink, but the menu drew me in and I had to order some charcuterie. We also had the chef's terrine and it was a fairly homogeneous bland block of....stuff. At first, I thought I was being spoiled by the products turned out by Jamie Stachowski, Dean Gold and Haidar Karoum, but then I realized even my home made attempts were (IMHO) superior. And the cornichons tasted like.... anything other than cornichons. The plate of cheeses we got was quite nice though more bread would have been nice (especially when you're charging $13 for 3 small pieces). Cocktails were excellent and the space is gorgeous. I'm certainly not going to judge 8407 based on a couple of apps late on a Friday night. We'll come back and hit the place for a proper dinner.
-
Oh, my - the menu certainly does look disappointing and horribly generic. I had very high hopes for this place. We'll wait and see, but I'm already lowering my expectations.
-
That was also one of my favorite dishes. There was an underlying flavour that reminded me of Indian pickles. When I asked Chef Seth about this, he said it was from the powdered fenugreek (methi) that they add to the spinach (which is also a prominent ingredient in pickles). Looking back on it, I think my favorite dishes were the vegetarian ones. The Gobhi Simla Mirch (cauliflower with nigella and peppers) was truly outstanding. I'm a big fan of lentils so it's no surprise that the urad dal was also one of my favorites. There was an earthiness to it (possibly from roasting the dal prior to cooking) that really appealed to me. I know that most people raved over the jardaloo but it was a little too sweet for my liking. But that's probably just a personal preference. The Nariyal Shrimp was my favorite non-veg item. To be perfectly honest, this was probably the best Indian dinner I've had in the DC area. The space is beautifully done and the variety of food can't be matched by the majority of Indian restaurants. I'm definitely going to be a return customer. Thanks to GennaroE and Chef Seth for organizing this fantastic dinner.
-
When you tip on a meal, there is an understanding that not all of it is for the service in bringing it to your table. The tips are shared with the folks in the back. So I guess the reason why I would tip is that someone still had to do the work to bring even the uncooked food to me (e.g. prepping the meat/seafood, wrapping it up, etc). Plus ]I always feel like such a schmuck when I draw a line through the area for a tip. I feel like I'm being such a cheapskate.
-
Some restaurants also have a retail aspect. Think of fresh seafood at Blacksalt, or the butcher counter at Les Halles (in NYC). Some places will use the same POS system for the restaurant and retail aspects, which means there is often a place to enter an amount for a tip. The question is - should you tip? I can see arguments for and against.
-
Ummm...I posted back on Apr 05 that I'll be there +3. Look upthread.
-
Add in xcanuck +3 Is there some process by which we'll confirm our reservation (e.g. supply a CC)?
-
Absolutely!! The more the merrier! Of course that's OK. However, I don't think a bigger table is going to be necessary. Someone scheduled me for a meeting from 11:45-12:30 today and I can't get out of it. So right now, we have: porcupine +1 perrik DanielK deangold JPW eroica38 On for 12pm today. Sorry about bailing at the last minute. I'll see some of you later tonite at DCCK. Definitely will NOT miss that.
-
I figure that three orders will be enough for Porcupine and I. Plus maybe an extra take out order for munching on at home. So we'll meet at noon tomorrow. Daniel - let us know if there's anything you want us to order before you get there.
-
OK - so let's do this Thursday. At this point, I believe we have DanielK, JPW, Porcupine, Al Dente, eroica38, bookluvingbabe, and deangold. I'm assuming that Rachel is out this time around given the week long class. I'll try to get there reasonably early to secure a table and ensure that Porcupine and I have a sufficient quantity of jerky to sustain us.
-
There's Joe making things difficult Friday is better for me but I can do Thursday. What's everyone else's preference for Thu/Fri this week?
-
No, I'm just an idiot. I thought there was at P2I. Regardless, there seems to be some agreement on lunch at Sichuan Pavillion. Rachel can join us if we do this on Thurs/Fri. So how about doing it this Friday 3/26?
-
If you want to go on a real tangent, I recommend Lizzie Cunningham's book "Curry: A Tale of Cooks and Conquerors". It's an excellent examination of how history influenced the culinary tradition in India. There are some good recipes scattered throughout the book. As a follow up, my mom gave me a Bengali cookbook from her last trip to Kolkata and darned if it doesn't nail the flavours I grew up with. You know where to find them if you're interested!
-
As discussed last night by a de facto gathering of the RPLC - we need to start this up again now that JPW can throw a stone at many of our haunts. Any days of the week work better than others? Any suggestions? I don't think we've ever hit the lunch buffet at Passage to India. Sichuan Pavillion for lunch? Any new places we need to check out?
-
We need another $20 Tuesday here. This place is soooooo damn good. I like the variety of choices afforded to a large group.
-
DC Central Kitchen Night - Weds, June 13 - 5PM
xcanuck replied to goldenticket's topic in Events and Gatherings
Count me in. Hopefully work will not interfere. -
I finally caught up on a few episodes of No Reservations on the Tivo and was especially interested by the Mar 08 "Obsessed" episode. I'm surprised not to see any chatter on this board about Bourdain's take on food bloggers. I wouldn't say he belittled them - that's too strong a word - but he seemed befuddled that anyone would would take food so seriously. I also thought that he really played up the angle that food fills a social hole for the bloggers that he interviewed. All in all, not too complimentary a view. I wonder if he has the same opinion of people like us who visit a food board almost daily. Anyone else catch that episode? Comments?
-
"I like to watch" - perhaps one of the most memorable lines ever uttered by Peter Sellers. I agree that the Columbia Room deserves some investigation. Derek's running a "Shaking vs Stirring" session on Wed 3/24. Drinks include Dry Martini, Gimlet, Ramos Gin Fizz, Sazerac and Golden Gin Fizz.. This has a great deal of appeal to me (as long as I work doesn't take me out of town). Anyone else interested?
-
My wife had her iPhone stolen while she was walking outside the Verizon Centre before a Capitals game. She actually chased after the guy and two off duty DC cops saw her, so they joined the chase. Long and short of it - they got the guy, he was tried and convicted, and is in jail. Remind me to never piss off my wife.
-
A coworker and I had lunch there today. The Crying Tiger was something else - steak that had been marinated in lime juice then seared served with a chili-cumin sauce whose heat built until I was gasping for air. But it was in a good way - I may get that every time I go there. I also gave their version of Floating Market Noodle Soup a try, being a big fan of the version at Nava Thai. It's not as mind blowingly hot as NT's version, and there was a weird separation between the blood and stock. But it still tasted damn good. The pork rinds were extremely crispy and there was a lot of the nice, charred steak. The portion size was smaller than NT's, too. The street food section of the menu is the one I'll be exploring more and more. Very nice atmosphere and attentive service. Finally a good Thai option near work in the G'burg/G'town area.
-
I really REALLY like the music that they play at The Passenger. It's one of the reasons I like going there. However, it IS a little loud. So you have to talk loud to be heard...which makes it harder for other people's conversations and so on. It builds to a deafening crescendo. And that's about the only the reason I don't go to The Passenger more often. Having said that, I don't agree that it's for cocktail snobs. There is a list (albeit a short one) of specials for those that like to chose. And the best drink I've ever gotten there was when I asked for them to riff on a Manhattan. Wow. Fandamntastic.
-
Hrmmm....could be an idea! Any suggestions?
-
I'd add Nava Thai, Ruan Thai, and El Pollo Rico. New Kam Fong is by far my favorite place to eat in Wheaton these days (even if getting what you want when placing phone orders is a little problematic). For downtown SS, check out Silver Spring Thai Flavor (a few doors down from Ray's). Excellent for fast take out Thai. Abol and Addis Ababa are good Ethiopian choices in downtown SS. I have yet to check out the new Dama Cafe that opened next to the county liquor store downtown. The SS Penguin was not keen on the food, but far more effusive in their praise of the desserts.