starfish

had some really good ones at blacksalt about three months ago.

i will be there and bringing some booze of sundry sorts.

PS 7's is closed on Sunday's. We are open for dinner Monday through Saturday - 5:30 is the first seating available. In about a month, we will be open for lunch Monday through Friday. The bar stools have low and firm backs. We are committed to making PS 7's one of the best bars in DC to have dinner - but Heather is right, the low tables are best for cocktailing, snacking, and lounging.

DLB, Thank you for you candid feedback. We found some of it truly valuable. While I am not a fan of restaurant professionals criticizing anyone for expressing their opinion in any forum, I find your criticisms a bit disconcerting thus my public response. If your evening was so marred by the food and service you received, why did you not indicate such on any of the three visits I made to your table? If you wanted the advice of the “wine steward,” why didn’t you ask your server to get the “wine steward?” The gentleman serving your table most likely recommended the $85 Robert Craig Mount Veeder Cabernet, because we had just tasted the staff on it that evening. Other good reasons for recommending it: it is a bargain at $85 – most restaurants in this area that carry this wine charge $100 and up for what happens to be a 91 point WS & WA wine. I am sure that your motives are nothing but genuine. However, going to a restaurant on opening night or any night for that matter, and then writing negatively about your experience, though you were asked on three occasions about your satisfaction, strikes me as fishy at best and dishonorable at its worst. p.s. the wine you drank was the Pelligrini Cariganne, and it would be my pleasure to offer you and your wife a glass or two in the company of myself and Chef Smith to discuss this further.

i have never been to the standard, but i would nominate cafe st. ex, and sibling bar pilar, and tonic as the bars the do a very good, and occasionally great job with comfortable classics.

that notti bianche guy was not fired because of the breast feeding incident - there were other reasons why it was time for he and notti to part ways. in fact, the parting of ways did not occur until at least three months after that incident. i would also like to mention that the gentleman that made the unfortunate reference to breast feeding has grown into a very good restaurant manager and one with whom i would be proud to work again.

the second location is less than 200 yards from the dupont circle metro.

i have tasted it and was extremely impressed. does it stand along side the greats from across the pond? the question is moot. it is an extremely interesting excercise for the palate, and a cheap one at that. we will proudly have it on the bar at ps 7's.

This quote speaks to the myopic vanity of people who espouse a NYCentric world view. It also weakens the premise of the article – escapes. When I want to get away from DC, I the last thing that I would want is to dine in a place that feels like DC. But unlike the author, 36 hours away from the city that I love is not long enough to make me seek the soft pink blanky of familiarity.

option 2.5: remove offending entree, have the kitchen produce a small salad so that neither party is forced to eat by themselves. canabalize another table's order (more than one table ordered the "blank") and let the kitchen catch-up. minimal impact to the guest, minimal additional cost to the restaurant.

if memory serves, the entire area is known as constitution gardens, the island itself is the d of i memorial.

the declaration of independence memorial is my all time favorite picnic spot in dc - preposterously romantic, rarely visited, and rather secluded. eta: it is a small island on a man-made lake between the washington monument and the vietnam vets memorial.

this is a matter of context, imho. informing a member of the staff that you "learned about your restaurant through blank.com and are very excited to try it" is very different than "i am so and so from blank.com". the former informs management of a source for guests, the latter seems to be asking for special treatment. but the larger question, in my mind, is to what end? what is the purpose for identifying oneself? introducing yourself to an active participant in this forum or another seems only polite, however, name-dropping for other purposes... my $0.02.

yes, he has been working on that space for a while. imho, there are three reasons it is still on the market: 1 - the deal is contingent upon taking an akward adjacent space. 2 - the build-out would be cost prohibitive to all but the deepest of pockets (i smell a chain coming) and no tenant improvement allowance is offered. some down the line incentives sure, but this still makes for a very large initial cash outlay 3 - the cost/square foot is, in my estimation, 15-25% higher than it should be for comparable properties damn shame, beecause the space could be stunning.

New restaurant – slated to open late August – seeks an assistant manager. This fine dining restaurant will be located downtown, and will have a busy bar scene as well as a stylish dining room, patio, and private dining area. Experience is preferred but passion is essential. The management team will consist of two assistants and the general manager. Responsibilities will be determined by the relative strengths and weakness of the individual selected for this position. We are looking for poise, charm, knowledge of fine dining service, ability to run a room, quick thinking, and passion for the business. This is not a zero responsibility paper tiger position. There will be significant operational responsibilities. Salary is flexible relative to experience. As an organization, we place high value on the quality of life of the staff. We expect everyone on the team to work like hell in the run-up to opening but expect that schedules will level off to a 50-55hour week. Send me an email. Please attach your resume but, most importantly, tell me about yourself. Even better, tell me a story.

the potomac restaurant group and i have parted ways. i wish i could be more gracious at the moment and wish them luck, but i am not there yet. thanks to everyone here that helped make my run at notti successful. don, please change the name of this thread.

i am partial to sparkling shiraz for picnics. and good ones can be had for under $15 (there is no retail availabilty for the wines that are coming to mind right now but i am sure that your wine shop can help you).

when i had snacks at the bar of agraria on sunday night, they had oln on the tube. it was showing highlights of last year's tour. i took that as an indication that they would be showing this year's tour but it is always worth a phone call first.

as i told everyone during the last legacy libation, the wines that i can sell at those prices have been completed depleted – i can justify to my bosses the selling of some wine at just over cost but selling it at a loss is a little tougher. we still have legacy bourbon, and a couple of random spirits as well. all of our wine by the glass, and beer are 50% off. and their will be a sneak preview of a new wine (it will be debuting to the general public tomorrow) from our own jake parrot. it is a stunning rose of cabernet sauvignon from south africa. it will also be half off the glass price. i look forward to seeing everyone tonight.

the really good news is that there an increasing number of places that take beer and the food to be paired with it seriously. the next time you dine out i would focus on the places that have a good beer list. i would also be sure to communicate with the server that you are really looking forward to pairing your courses with some of their beer selections.

cashion's - dinner at the bar capitol grille - dinner at the bar but only on sunday and monday nights charlie palmers - late lunch on monday's at the bar aroma (with carryout sushi from spices) - sunday and monday nights only bistro du coin - when desperate for food after most kitchen's have closed regent thai - solid thai in my hood, good first date spot - not that i know anything about that need to get there more often but for my crazy work life corduroy firefly vidalia mendocino grille circle bistro damn why do they have to be on the wrong side of a river: maestro restaurant eve - either room ray's the thought just occured to me that this thread could be extremely useful to stalkers

i think that crescentfresh is being far too kind to this place. it was i who ordered the cheez whiz staturated nachos. twas the two of us that sat and watched the end of the france v. spain world cup match at this "restaurant" that is in my estimation devoid of a soul. the nachos were terrible - whatever, it was my dumb ass fault for ordering them. what makes this place suck is that they have a clear mission and so routinely fail to make basic attempts to satisfy it. impressive beer collection sure, but try talking to one of the bartenders about the beer and you are met with a truly impressive amount of nothingness. don't wear nice clothes to this place either, aside from the truly foul bathroons that were every bit as disgusting as crescentfresh made them sound, not a single time during the course of a few hours was the bar in front of us wiped down. this was after several beers were served with neither coaster nor bevnap, after the aforementioned empty calorie snacks had been pushed around thier plates. the bar was just waiting for someone to soil clothing. this is about basic pride in the work that one does, and they ain't got it. during the entire time there, no bartender looked me in the eye, said thank you, or in anyway indicated that they were happy to have us at the bar. p.s. the tartlets running around in clothes that would have made them more apropriate at hooters - that other soul sucking waste of space - didn't make it any better.

thank you to all of the people that sent me emails, pm's, and general good wishes. this is a classy bunch and i am proud to count myself as a member. as most of you suspect, sunday was big night for my staff and me. monday morning...well let's not talk about that. congratulations to all of the winners.

good luck to all of the rammy nominees, but especially the ones that participate in this forum. win or lose, we'll all be "celebrating" at the after party. p.s. a word to the wise be careful where you dine tonight - many of the staff members at some restaurants will be at the marriot wardman park rather than staffing a post tonight.

plan on a cab - deny yourself nothing.