starfish

has anyone been there recently? has the food/service gotten any better? and what kind of dress code is there?

dress for a see and be scene kind of crowd.

I see no thread on Red Sage. A moot point, since its now closed. Any idea what the future holds for the space? Its a primo location.

current rumor is that a small group is trying to redevelop that entire block into "multi-use" entertainment destination with a very serious restaurant as the anchor.

is it just me, or has anyone else noticed a significant increase in the number of gratuitous t&a camera shots in this season?

another perspective...

given the number of hours that most highly regarded chefs/owners/gms work, socializing at their own restaurant is sometimes the only way they can see their friends.

There is always drinks and dessert at the top of Hotel Washington.

but then you have to have drinks and dessert at the hotel washington

how about, millenium stage at the kennedy center - always free. take an elevator ride to the top level terrace; embrace one of the best views of the city. walk over to trader joe's and fill a picnic basket and proceed to the declaration of independance memorial. total cost = $50

continuing to date your wife = priceless

i stopped in last night for something sweet after a lovely meal at mendocino. i had the same dish that i had on my last visit. it was again great, but i realized i am not pretty enough to hang out here on a friday night

I know this is a rather subjective question, but do you think I've been had?

no, you were not had - absolutely not.

by the by, i have this lovely bridge for sale that might interest you.

My preference for bar dining versus a table has already been expressed. A few places I frequent even let me make reservations for the bar. What I don’t understand is why more places don’t allow this practice.

I finally made it to Hook last night for a meal. I had tried to get in a few times before but the bar was either too busy for my tastes or closed on the Monday attempts (they are now open on Mondays.)

I started with the trio of crudo and asked the bartender to select his favorite amongst the 9 or so offerings. I was presented with an extremely elegant plating of white salmon with spring peas, halibut, and mackerel. Each was subtlety brightened with a whisper of sea salt. This understated approach really allowed the flavor of the fish to shine.

The crudo was followed by the grilled calamari. This dish bore no resemblance to the floured and fried to death calamari dishes that are ubiquitous on restaurant menus. It was simply grilled to a sublimely chewy tenderness. This dish walked right up to the line of too salty and dropped the shaker. It was so deftly executed that it seemed as if just one granule more would have been too much.

I will echo the statements of previous posters and Tom Seitsema who have indicated that the elegant but sparingly done room can get loud. But I really enjoyed the energy of the place.

I was finishing a glass of wine when Pastry Chef Heather Chittum snuck up behind me and told me that there was no way in hell I was going to leave without having something sweet. For those of you who don’t know, Heather and I worked together when she was at Notti Bianche and I was the GM there. I responded by saying that I am not much of a sweets person (feel free to remove the “s” at the end of sweet if you know me well enough.) To which she replied that she knew this and selected a dish that she knew I would like.

Like it – no, loved it. Plum compote wrapped in a hazelnut crust served with a healthy scoop of tellegio cheese ice cream was her play on a cheese plate. It was sweet but not achingly so, and a perfect partner to the glass of moscato d’asti I was having. It was such a good pairing that I insisted that the two women, who I had met before and were sitting next to me and also drinking moscato d’asti, try a bite. For the record, they concurred.

I have been planning to write this post for at least six weeks. It was about that long ago that I had the first of four visits to Mendocino Grille. The only constants in those meals were that they were all at the bar (I prefer bar dining and will only choose a table when forced) and the soft shell crab appetizer.

The first visit was a random Monday where my dining companion and I found ourselves hungry in Georgetown. On this evening, we had the privilege of having Chef Barry Koslow cook for us. He prepared a five course tasting menu of items for the regular menu and one-off riffs. A tuna ceviche with a with a salted basil gelee was the star of the evening – next to the soft shell of course. GM and Sommelier Troy Bock selected a stunning and versatile Oregon Pinot Noir that I cannot remember to save my life.

The next visit was a planned Saturday dinner that had its genesis when I met a lovely couple from Detroit while having dinner at the bar at Cashion’s the prior Friday. They asked about other restaurants that had a similarly cosmopolitan/casual/elegant culinary ethos. A plan was hatched and we made reservations for the bar (why doesn’t every restaurant take reservations for the bar?)

We arrived to find tasteful reserved signs on the bar atop the place settings. We began the evening with a bottle of 05 Sine Qua Non white Rhone blend which was priced at a preposterously low $155 – more on my admiration for Mendocino’s well run wine program later. Plates of fettuccini with morels and spring peas in a light truffled cream sauce, roasted poussin, lamb loin, and halibut were passed between the three of us with great delight. The halibut may well have been the most perfectly cooked piece of fish I have eaten this year until my next visit.

Another Saturday night and I had reservations for the bar for what would be a train wreck of a date. Check my imaginary blog for details – meaning: by me a drink and I will happily tell the story. The runaway hit of the night was the ramp encrusted king salmon. The halibut I had a two weeks prior was great, but this salmon was superlative. The scallop appetizer with sautéed cabbage dotted with bits of pancetta was lovely, a bit familiar as I have seen that dish in iterations at far too many restaurants. Unfortunately, my conversationally bankrupt date wanted cheese to finish the meal. I had been hoping to see her to a taxi and return solo for cheese. But wow the cheese. Time and a failure to have scribbled even the most basic of notes prevent me from recalling the specific cheeses. I do recall the wow that spread across my face as we finished the cheese board.

Service was professional, sophisticated and seemed to always find the right balance of interaction and privacy.

Perhaps it is because Troy and I have similar passions about boutique wineries, but I do not think that there is another restaurant at this level of dining that offers a better wine program both by the glass and bottle. With few exceptions, the prices are exceedingly fair, and the wines abundantly interesting.

Each time I leave this lovely little restaurant I find myself asking why I don’t go more often.

The fourth visit was a roving evening for a glass of wine and a quick nibble at several places which you can read more about here

[disclosure notice: Barry Koslow and I used to work together. I have known Eli Hengst (the owner), and Troy for a few years as well.]

A couple of weekends ago, I unintentionally started an experiment. It was a Saturday night and I decided I was going to visit several restaurants that evening. It was a mix of places that I had never been and been meaning to try and old favorites that I had not visited for far too long. On my first stop, I asked the bartender to pour me a glass that tasted like summer, and an experiment was born.

The winners:

Vidalia – a half glass of a Rose from Loire, followed by a bright and cheeky Chenin Blanc

Mendocino Grille – a half glass of J Sparkling Rose (a prettier wine on the palate or in the glass I don’t know), followed by a half glass of St. Supre Elu (a blend of Semillon and Sauvignon Blanc – I think) that was lighter and better than I expected it to be.

Citronelle Lounge – after hearing my request, the server returned with an expertly made vodka gimlet. When I started this I hadn’t considered that anyone would pour a cocktail, but it was a great choice.

The losers:

A sacred cow that does not offer half glasses, would not let me order from the full menu at the bar, and had a bartender that seemingly forgot my request for a good ten thirsty minutes – no, it was not busy. A glass of Honig Sauvignon Blanc was the first offering – a one-trick pony of a wine that has only that it is cold and wet to recommend it. The second attempt was a cloyingly sweet Chateau Saint Michelle Reisling.

Café Milano (I went under duress) – a glass of plonk, some syrah the name of which I am sure that I deliberately scrubbed from my memory bank. I am sure that a thick, spice wine is a great summer choice for some, but I am not in that camp.

p.s. Rocks, I am not sure if this should be in the Beer and Wine section as it is equally related to that subject as it is to the restaurants. I am sure that you will relocate, re-title as you see fit.

Has anyone been upstairs during the Friday night singing? We have reservations there this Friday for a birthday dinner, and based on crackers' comment my friend called and they confirmed there will be singing in intervals starting at 8. I'm not a big fan of live music over dinner, but it's a bit late to get reservations elsewhere. I'm wondering if anyone's experienced the music up close and personal.

i was there last friday during the singing (one of many recent meals about which i have been meaning to post). i sat in the bar area which is downstairs from the main dining room. while the music was a significant dining partner, it did not prevent conversation at civilized tones. another option is the patio where the music would be even less of a factor. i am sure that a phone call to the restaurant indicating your preferences and the reasoning behind them will be given much consideration in the seating chart that evening.

bump.

it was a gorgeous sunday in dc, and sadly the market was looking very thin of patrons.

Can you order items off of the regular dinner menu when sitting at the bar? The gnocchi is calling my name, but I think we are bar-bound tonight.

both the bar & dining room menu are available in the bar area.

annie's has them on thier menu. at 3am, they are damn good...at least i think i remember that.

title says it all. pm me if you want them.

tixs are gone.

this topic makes think of somethin that came up in todd kliman's chat a few months ago:

Restaurant Culture:

Much was made of the fact that two African American coaches faced each other in the Superbowl. There can be no doubt about the historical import and implications of two black coaches in the biggest sporting event in the country. However, the more significant point of Tony Dungee and Lovie Smith coaching in the Superbowl is that both of these coaches have eschewed the militaristic, boot camp drill sergeant mentality of running a football team. They have clearly proven that there is a management approach that does not involve abhorrent behavior and can yield the highest results. Restaurateurs would be wise to heed that message. Too many chefs and owners have been reared in kitchens and dining rooms run by less than benevolent tyrants. As they ascend from line-cook, to executive chef, or from junior manager to general manager, this repugnant style of management becomes their own. Rarely is the cycle broken. In few professions – sports, and restaurants being notable exceptions – would it be acceptable to threaten employees with violence, throw a clipboard or plate, or berate one’s staff publicly and with as much venom as can be mustered. At best, this is emotional terrorism and felonious assault at worst. Both the dining public and restaurant employees bear culpability for this behavior. We happily lap up the stories of abusive coaches/chefs and their “antics” as shown on ESPN or regaled over drinks at the end of a shift. We laugh at the “eccentricities” of many great chefs almost suggesting that occasionally grotesque behavior is a fair trade for learning from their genius or enjoying the fruits of their work. Dungee and Smith have both declared pride in the fact that they “don’t yell or curse”. While I am sure that there are chefs who can make the same claim, I just haven't worked with them. Dungee and Smith’s approach is in the minority among their colleagues. Yet they met in the Superbowl, and a different management style won.

...from 3 to 6 it is a steal.

don't forget the late night happy hour which, iirc, starts at 10pm.

i am going to make it my life's mission to invent a breathalizer for our mobile devices. if you blow over a .08 you should not be allowed to dial or send text messages.

friends don't let friends drunk text.

and yeah, like don says, i am never drinking again.

eta: until happy hour, whose whimming?

so let me see if i've got this straight...

after two forte nights of teasing, tormenting, and tittering to and fro, spring has finally arrived, and on a friday no less.

there are scores of old haunts with patios and more than a few places we need to try.

and yet no one is whiming? no happy hour planned?

so be it. i am off to go walkabout in this glorious spring city. if you happen to make it to a patio and see me walking by with a cigar and a giant red plastic cup, wave a hello.

I will be moving from D.C. to the San Francisco area in mid-May. I'd like to bring much of my 200-bottle wine collection with me, and I'm trying to determine how best to move the wine such that it doesn't get overheated or otherwise destroyed during the process.

Does anyone have experience moving large quantities of wine over long distances? Any moving companies with climate-controlled storage to recommend to me? Any other ways to do it that won't cost me an arm and a leg (and are within the law)?

Thanks,

Michael

i have used vinfolio for the past year or so. they store wine, coordinate transport and handle all sorts of cellar management functions. you may want to contact them soon, and coordinate transfer earlier. the weather forecast for the rest of this week would provide for temperatures that are friendly to wines crossing the country.

What's the appropriate attire for this thing?

I'm bringing two lady-friends with me... who'll crucify me if I don't advise them properly.

don't associate the word "gala" with the appropriate attire for this thing. i saw three people in "gala attire" last year.

Hmm, I don't know if there's a dress code. I'm wearing what I wore to work today since I don't have time to change (Dress slacks and dress shirt) but I'll probably throw on a sport coat as well. Last I heard, my wife is wearing a nice dress with heels but that's probably changed three or four times since then.

most people were wearing whatever they wore to work on the day of the event last year.

from a woman with a voice so shrill that it matches the moronic statement.

while looking at the wine list, "i can't remember if i like sparkling or still"

in reference to some jackass whose cell phone rings (chiming some contemptible pop song) for the fourth time, "for the love of god if you must have your cell phone in a restaurant, at least have the courtesy to put on vibrate. if you are afraid you won't feel it vibrate, shove it up your ass to be certain"

cocktails on a patio anyone?

Specious argument. There are many residents who don't particularly care about schools, drug counselling, parking near the new stadium, the existing Eastern Market, the Georgetown Waterfront etc. whose tax dollars go to fund them.

Personally, I think the developers who are making megabucks fucking up my neighborhood with Target and Bed Bath and Beyond (yes, I would rather have the Vietnamese gorcery store than the Target) should have been forced to set aside space for independent businesses (and give it away free if needed). Urban areas need to be vibrant and unique, good city planning takes that into account.

Re: Union Station, I suspect it would never have been torn down -- it was still a working train station of modest grandeur. But again, someone made millions on a de-facto subsidy and was asked to give nothing back in return.

As with Verizon Center.

And the Ballpark.

And infinitum....

i do not disagree with any of the points you make. however, the verizon center should not be included in that same discussion. while there were some subsidies it was paid for almost entirely out of the owner's pocket. the last sports facility for any of the four major sports to be built by the owner rather than a municipality. i think that we would all agree that the incredible revitalization of the penn quarter was worth the tax breaks the city gave to abe pollin and the verizon center.

for not holding the city hostage until a stadium was built, for building the verizon center with his own money, and for sparking a historically significant neighborhood turn-around, i think 7th street ought to be renamed abe pollin avenue.