starfish

there are too many options that are much better and within walking distance or short cab ride away. edited to remove unneccesary snarkiness

while i am aware that i risk the wrath of rocks for this bit of shameless self-promotion... notti bianche's fall menu debuted on friday. it is available on our website, notti bianche

i used to go much more frequently but alas my free time is so limited these days. like jm chen, i have very fond recollections of all of the meats at mama ayesha's. but what i remember most is the service. extremely gracious staff there who seem possesed with a genuine concern for the experience of every guest. and that patio is a great place to people watch in the middle of the evening as all of the adams morgan revelers stride down the path to drunken merriment.

i will be there in a 5% work capacity (our sister restaurant, dish is representing our group) and 95% party capacity. very much looking forward to the evening.

i was in a pretty crappy mood yesterday - seems to happen whenever corporate people get too involved in my day rather than watching from the appropriate distance as i run the restaurant. rather than inflict my crappy mood on either my staff or our guests, i made the executive decision to get the hell out and have a working dinner at cashion's last night. i was in a mood for that which would comfort and soothe. cashion's satisfied on every level. the comfort started with having to run into the bar to get change to pay my cab driver. before i returned, billy, the ever capable mainstay of cashion's bar staff, without needing to ask had a manhattan sitting in front of my bar stool. places where "everybody knows your name" are nice. places where the bartender knows your drink - invaluable. eventually i got to the menu. i decided to start with the roasted quail. it was served atop a chanterelle and garlic risotto that was finished with truffle oil. this dish was simply sublime. the quail was seasoned very simply with salt and pepper which truly allowed the flavors of the bird to shine. the risotto was deftly executed with just the right amount of bite to the rice. the garlic was just a shade more than subtle and well shy of overpowering. it was, however, the truffle oil acting as the key thread that tied all of the flavors together. at billy's suggestion, i paired the quail with a sauncere. everything was so harmonious that i neglected to remember the vineyard. i had the hanger steak with blue potatoes and roasted cauliflower as an entree. it was good, very good even. but were i to replay the evening, i would have had another order of the quail.

most things that go on in zuccabar happen after every other bar has closed.

another place worthy of consideration, in my mind, would be the bar at cashion's. it gets a nice mix of the more sophisticated adams morgan crowd - pre-party, and a crowd i would describe as "hip enough to be called hip but smart enough to never use that term in reference to themselves". and i could eat ann cashion's food all the time.

i would be happy to bring olive oil (she's a little skinny for my taste, but what the hell i need a date ) how much do we need?

i am thinking about the chat tommorow, and hoping that tom starts with a question about this and that he provides a simple and clear explanation for his inclusion of that remark. further hoping that tony will have an opportunity to make a brief statement regarding this, and then the matter will be put to bed and heard from nevermore. but then the sky is purple in my world

i will be there, assuming no servers/asst. managers/dish washers/etc call in sick aka "i am too hung over to work". i will bring beverages of varying degrees of temperance or lack there of.

i interpreted the hostesses words that way as well and one could reason that the consultation with the manager is indication that the restaurant's position is that also. however, the other side of the coin COULD be... a later reservation for someone who has indicated that this evening was a wedding annv. or another special date and therefore the table had been reserved for them. it also could be that the seating chart was very tight for that evening and such an alteration would require some hastily computed table math. it could also have been that the young lady assumed that the gentlemen in front of her were not on a date but just wanted that table and her answer was just her version of being forthright. short of seeing two people holding hands or some other romantic gesture i don't know how one would presume couplehood. given all of the various permutations, i give the restaurant the benefit of the doubt. if that were my host stand, i would not fire an employee for a very poorly chosen phrase and the poor judgment that was perhaps behind it. i would, however, have a very serious conversation about diversity, tolerance, and impressions with my entire staff.

i would like to echo mark's statement. every restaurant pro that i know will bend over backwards to accomodate even what may be viewed as a frivilous complaint once we are made aware. more importantly restaurant managers are paid for our judgement and for our ability to identify problems before they arise. that being said we still miss things, things that are done by design are misinterpreted by our guests, or any other missed opportunity. most managers will tell you that many of the complainers (no slight intended) become some of our most frequent regulars becuase the interaction of resolving a complaint is really an opportunity to make a freind/regular. notti bianche got slapped around in today's tom s. chat by a guest who complained that her "business lunch" took an hour and 45min and was the "slowest service" ever. through the magic of computers i discovered exactly what table this was. what she did not mention was that during her ordeal of a lunch, managers talked to this table twice (once me, once my assistant gm) and again upon her exit. forget about asking for a manager to register a complaint, managers came to the table and inquired about the status of the meal. and not a peep about anything, but from an anonymous internet perch she declared her experience so interminable that she would never return. she also failed to mention that she arrived 20minutes early and her guest 10minutes late. nor did she mention that they each had 3 cups of coffee that factored into the total time for lunch. that is grossly unfair to a restaurant. just wanted to provide another example of why restaurant professionals disdain the anon complaint.

any restaurant people out there attending the washington wholesale portfolio tasting this afternoon?

every night i am able to sneak out of the restaurant early there is never any action on this thread. anyway, i am going to go to several bars for cocktails in the hopes of stealing staff, er, meeting new people. anyone up for a cocktail crawl?

one step down!!! wow, was that a great place to listen to music, and hide in a corner.

a few years ago i also was a frequent late night patron of the bar at bistro bis. i regret that i don't get over there very frequently now, as i have very fond memories of the place. that was one of the few bars in the city where i felt comfotable ordering a sidecar and trusted that the bartender would make it correctly without me having to explain the drink. they have always had a very good bar staff. in case anyone is wondering... the sidecar was invented in france during wwI, and named after an american general who always rode in the sidecar of a motorcycle. the original recipe calls for 3 parts cognac, 1 part cointreau, the squeeze of two lemon wedges, and one lime wedge. shake vigorously, and serve straight up in a sugar rimmed cocktail glass (i consider this to be optional, and the best bartenders i have found either ask first or rim half the glass in sugar therefore offering the guest the option of each experience), and garnish with a lemon twist. thusly made it a beautiful and refreshing drink that is far from the cloyingly sweet imitations offered by most bartenders.

DC’s newest three star restaurant needs servers, bartenders, a host and an Assistant Manager. Notti Bianche is a charming, fun, upscale restaurant in Foggy Bottom and we just received 3-stars from the Washington Post. We are seeking similarly fun, intelligent, and charismatic staff. Experience is preferred but passion is essential. If you enjoy good food, good wine, but good company most of all, we want to meet with you. Seeking bartenders and servers for a few shifts a week and hosts for Thursday through Saturday evening. Looking for people with an eye for detail, an ear for dialogue and the desire to learn more - not necessarily people with years of industry experience. Management believes that training staff and providing the tools for success is vital. Expectations are high, and we are unwavering in our pursuit of excellence. We also do a good job of pursuing a good time. Drop us a line and let us know if you are seeking a position as a bartender, server or host although these are not necessarily mutually exclusive - someone who could be all three, although not at the same time of course, would be great. Finding good managers is akin to trying to catch lightning in a bottle, but that doesn't stop me from trying. This would be an excellent opportunity for a current server or bartender to make the jump into management, or even for someone looking for career change. this is not a zero responsibility paper tiger position. there will be significant operational responsibilities. Send me an email, or a pm. Please attach your resume but, most importantly, tell me about yourself. Even better, tell me a story. edited to add: p.s. if you refer someone for the manager job, the referal bonus is dinner for two (four courses with wine pairing) if your candidate is offered and accepts the position.

i beleive that you are referencing "lex cajun grill". i wouldn't swear to it, but i am fairly sure that they are still around.

if you would like the corkage fee to be waived, yes. when making your reservation please indicate that you will be bringing in wine and toasting "to rocks" to receive this discount.

ot coupons are essentially the same thing as travelers cheques. with regard to the earlier question of percentages of reservations made through ot and those made through restaurant websites etc, i am in the process of preparing an ot presentation for my boss. as soon as i have crunched the numbers i will share all of the appropriate ones here. edited to add: one more bonus of ot...using the manager configuration, one can surf the web (read, keep up with dr.com) during mini-lulls in service.

when i want to go to a bar/lounge 9 times out of 10 i want to sip, and sup, someplace sawnk. oh, but that 10th time, i want to go to a old fashioned dive bar. good jukebox, faded vinyl booths, and crusty bartenders that usually call everyone champ or hon. my favorites, in no particular order... the raven, 3100 block of mount pleasant street, mount pleasant - great jukebox with an eclectic range of rock'n'roll and old motown, and no credit cards accepted. has gotten a tad bit too popular for my tastes. packed on weekend nights. tune-inn, 3rd and penn., capitol hill - this place is the perfect anti-dote to bars packed with hill staffers who can't seem to talk about anything but politics. fox and hound, 17th and q (i think), dupont circle - you have to love a place that serves you a glass of vodka and a small bottle of tonic. what are your favorites?

i would agree that your experience would fall in the "above and beyond" category. which is another reason why i would give them an opportunity to rectify this situation. it is an unfortunate truth that in many restaurants brunch is the neglected child from a staffing perspective. i have had a brunch in places where the "manager" was the back-server the previous night. don't know if that is the case here, what i do know is that if the experience was accurately recounted - i have no reason to believe it was not - management failed. service and kitchen teams perhaps failed too, but this is the type of problem managers are paid to recognize and resolve before a guest walks out. a call to the gm, and i would bet a bottle of 85' diamond creek that s/he was not working the floor, is in my mind the next step. explain the situation dispassionately and without affectation, and then listen with an open mind. give him or her the chance to re-earn your business and your trust.

has a date been set for the next meeting?

this is the type of expereince that presents a very constant reminder of precisely how thin the talent pool is. i would give them at least one more chance to redeem themselves. there were multiple opportunities for the "manager type" to have recognized the existance of a problem and stepped in to apologize and offer a solution. and any reasonably alert manager would have, at the same time, however, i would have asked to see manager during the meal that wasn't. i would give a call tommorow - most general managers take monday's off - and ask to speak with the gm. relate your experience and ask her/him to explain why you should try them again. if you are not satisfied with the answer, then ask for the name of the regional manager. in my mind this is not about seeking a free meal - and i am sure that is not your intent either. this is about sunday mornings and the abject failure of harry's to deliver on the implied and explicit promise of a good time on the last breath of a weekend. good luck.

i went on a brief getaway to annapolis yesterday afternoon. every time i go to the serene capital of maryland i wonder why i don't go more often. the express purpose of this trip was to decompress while eating crabs and drinking cheap beer. my companion asked if i had a favorite crab house because she knew of a "joint" that i would love. i yeilded to her judgement and found myself at cantler's riverside inn. it is not an easy place to find, but very much worth the trouble. there is no pretense to this place, it is jammed with picnic style benches inside and out. they drape the table with paper, and bring out the crabs on cafeteria style trays. beer is available only by the can and the selection is limited to heineken, amstel, miller lite, corona, and yeungling. the staff appear to be all high school and college age ladies and gentlemen who are equally concerned with maintaining thier tans, and a very light hearted atmosphere. $45 gets you a dozen large steamed crabs - mediums are also available but they were out of the jumbos. the crabs were steamed to a nice shade of brick red and glistened with an ample amount of old bay seasoning. the trays also come with drawn butter, vinegar, and extra old bay - forsake all of them. the crab meat was sweet and delicious all by itself. we also had two sides of french fries and coleslaw. neither was anything special but they were satisfactory support players to the starring crabs. service was a little slow - in fact, i notticed that most of the regulars ordered beers two at a time and requested a bucket of ice to keep the back-ups cold. on the upside, i watched as a very patient 20yo (guessing) young lady spent 15 minutes teaching a rookie crab eater proper technique. this was a delightful way to spend an afternoon - eating great crabs, sitting by the river, watching the sunset. it was well worth the price of admission. crabs, sides, beer, and gratuity about $90 for two people. cantler's riverside inn