chickenlover

This place doesn't generate much chatter on the board and I'm not sure why, maybe because it's overpriced? We went Friday for their pre-theater deal, 35 bucks for 2 courses plus dessert. This is a great deal especially with a $30 bottle of Barbera. I doubled up on the pasta courses: papardelle w/ rabbit and agnollotti filled with aged ricotta and raisins. Both were excellent, especially the second which tastes a lot better than it sounds. Dessert was unremarkable. Service was very formal--not really my thing, but they do it well.

stumptowncoffee.com

I'll be visiting Palena for the first time on Friday. Can anyone whose been to the dining room lately tell me what to expect/dishes to look for? Also how's their wine program? Thanks.

Is there a magic week in the summer when it might not be raining too much? Many thanks.

In the Pac NW summer begins on July 4 and lasts through September. June can be quite nice, but it can be rainy as well. Salmon usually start running in June and their flavor degrades as the season progresses.

I ate there this weekend. They are definitely still working out the service kinks, but did not lack for friendliness or enthusiasm. The food was mostly great. I would return for the pate alone. Monkfish was ok, but its accompanying red wine sauce was outstanding. My SO enjoyed the pike dumplings, but they weren't my cup of tea. Desserts were straitforward and really tasty. The wine list is relatively affordable and we enjoyed a $40 bottle of Saint Veran with our meal.

I went to Viridian last night to check out the happy hour. I live in the neighborhood and have visited several times over the past year. I've got to say that I am a big fan of the new happy hour menu and the vacuuming lady is pretty cool. The mussels were kind of tough, but the other 3 dishes were winners. I especially enjoyed the beet salad with olives and citrus, a flavor combo that seemed odd at first but ended up really working.

For real absinthe, mix with a teaspoon of sugar and a little bit of ice water. Drink 2-3, and stare at the wall.

HOWEVER, somebody unknown to Rissa, showed up in the bar and asked about the cassoulet and was served "your" portion.

Would this person care to come out and confess?

It was me. I knew about the cassoulet, forgot about the cassoulet, then stopped by the bar on a whim on Wednesday. I was lucky to get a bowl of the cassoulet and Rissa was a gracious host offering a glass of Negly when the food was slow arriving and macaroons to finish the meal, proving once again that nothing bad can ever happen at Corduroy.

What else do we not like from Trader Joes?

'Silverbrite' salmon is another name for chum, a grade of fish usually reserved for canning. No thanks.

Calvados with apple cider and a squeeze of lemon.

The Toronado outdoes most beer bars in this country, imho, especially in the ambience/character area. Possible exceptions for O'Briens in San Diego, Horse Brass in Portland OR, and maybe one or two others that I'm forgetting.

I've spent many a night at the Horse Brass, but I've got to say that Monk's in Philly is hands down the best bar I've ever had the privilege to set foot in.

IANAL, but isn't a reservation not a contract without some kind of consideration (such as a signed contract or actual collected fee) as it is only an offer and a response?

When a restaurant takes a diner's credit card #, that's consideration for the reservation. I suppose that if the restaurant did not honor the diner's reservation, the diner would have a cause of action against the restaurant. Although, it's hard to imagine that anyone would actually pursue that.

*The above statements are theoretical in nature and should not be construed as legal advice.

I would take it up with my credit card company if I could not work it out with a restautant, base on the fact that I did not receive any services. I would never sign a contract to eat!

A reservation is a contract to eat. A diner breaches that contract when they don't show up. If the restaurant is not able to fill the no-show's table, then they are justified in keeping his deposit. However, if the restaurant does fill that table, they have no right to keep the deposit. That would be double recovery. That's the lawyer talking. For practical purposes, issuing a gift certificate in the amount of the deposit seems like the most elegant solution.

Someone else knows how to play eucre in this city? Robyn and I lived in the midwest for years and are always looking for partners to play over beers, wine or bourbon.

If you are ever looking for a fourth...

Baked shortribs from Greek Deli: worth standing in the cold.

I am a salmon snob. I lived in Oregon for 7 years and I don't normally eat salmon on the East Coast. However, on Sunday I had an amazing piece of Steelhead at CB. They source the fish from a Native American fishery on the Olympic Penninsula. (Many such fisheries have rights to year round fishing, whereas most other NW salmon fishing takes place in the summer.) The fish was poached in olive oil and was a perfect medium rare. Great flavor and texture. It was accompanied by roasted beets and some kind of shallot sauce. I thought the sauce was too sweet for the fish, but paired nicely with the salty beets. Amuse of Steelhead tartare was also quite nice. Bottom line, this was the best piece of salmon I've ever had in these parts, and I hope it stays on the menu so I can eat it again.

I live in the District. We tried using a Brita, but our water still tasted awful--a little too much of the DC terroir. We buy bottled water now.

About a year ago, there were a number of postings here about Les Halles' general mediocrity -- lousy service, pedestrian food and the like. Anybody been there recently & seen or heard of signs of improvement?

I was there about 6 months ago. I can confirm the general mediocrity.

Has anyone tried the place on 14th? I believe it's called La Villa.

I have twice purchased rancid cashews in the clam shell packaging. But in WF's defense, they could have been rancid when they went into the packaging. Seriously, I've had it with that place. I live 4 blocks away from the WF on P St., and I'm going to start driving to Virginia to do my grocery shopping.

In other beer news, the Lagunitas tasting last night at the Brick was fuuuun. Some of their beers aren't to my taste (brown shugga in particular), but others are spot-on (Pils, IPA, barleywine).

I remember liking the Brown Shugga when I lived on the west coast, and not liking it as much when I had a bottle recently. Could be a freshness issue, or maybe they changed the recipe? Overall, I love the brewery and am glad I can get their beers here in DC. Now if only I can get my hands on some Deschutes...

the point is to get the butts in the seats, period. it's a money maker.

Our server at Vidalia told us the same thing in August. He described RW as a "win-win": the restaurant is full when it would otherwise be empty and diners get a good deal.

Unfortunately, I've had to let go of my reservation at Corduroy. Saturday, 8:00 for 2.

I had a nice RW meal at Restaurant Kolumbia last night. RK offerred limited choices (3 apps, 4 mains) but most everything we tried was really tasty. We started with duo of soup and mini-butcher board. The mushroom soup was the clear winner of the duo which was served with what I believe was cauliflower flan, nice touch. I would have preferred to make my own selections from the butcher board. The mini version had keilbasa, smoked salmon, and something that I can best describe as duck bologna (can't remember what it was actually called.) The salmon was fresh, but the flavor did not seem right to me--the only low point in the meal. Mains were wild mushroom lasagna and veal with sweetbreads and lentils. The lasagna was incredibly rich and had great creamy texture. The veal dish was best for the lentils and for it's sauce, which I happily sopped up after I'd finished the meat. Desserts, pistachio ice cream and chocolate cake, were pretty good and service was excellent.

I just cancelled my reservation at Farrah Olivia. Friday, 7:30 pm, for 2. If anyone wants it, it should be on Open Table.