smiller

Any suggestions on where to have Christmas Brunch?

La Chamiere is very cozy with a fireplace. Palena's back room is very cozy minus the fireplace-- the food definitely makes up for lack of a fireplace.

Bear in mind kibbeh is more like a fried meatball of minced meat and bulgur, whereas kibbeh nayyeh is served completely raw, not unlike a steak tartare. I think the ingredients are very similar, but the dishes are vastly different.

Cheers,
Rocks.

Thanks for the clarification Don. Maybe I won't be going to Neyla to try that afterall.

Kibbeh is one of my favorite dishes ever. I enjoy the ones at the Lebanese Taverna cafe and I know this place is kind of ghetto but I had them the other night at DC Cafe on P St. and I thought they were very good- more meaty than the ones at L.T. I haven't been to Neyla but it is definitely on my list.

I find La Chaumiere to be a very cozy romantic French restaurant, especially on a cool fall night. I prefer to go on a Monday or Tuesday when it isn't so crowded. Maybe cocktails before at the 4 seasons.

I'm looking for the best Thai restaurant in the DC-area. Any suggestions?

I have triple-spaced on DonRockwell.com two times. Both times I walked away emasculated and feeling like I overindulged on castor oil, which is definitely not OK. I agree with everything that Rockwell wrote about in his review of your review and I feel that 1 1/2 more sentences is not any more accurate in describing your experiences in the restaurant.

More seriously, you didn't add anything. Specifics, please.

On a further point, what do people think of the concept (stipulating its proper communication to the diner, which is not necessarily the case at PS7's)?

Okay - I was trying to be gentle but since you are pressing me. The first time I went with my boyfriend, a foodie, and his friend - a nationally known wine cellar designer, both of whom dine out regularly at the finest restaurants in DC and nationally. We tried to taste as many dishes as possible. We liked the oxtail consomme. The Scallop boudin was ok. The tuna tartare flavorless. We then had the lobster 4 ways - each way worse than the preceding one. The lobster soup was undrinkable - my boyfriend's buddy thought it disgusting. The eggs had barely any lobster flavor - Sietsema was kind in saying that part of the dish was good - it was not. Another boudin - this one much less successful than the scallop version, and an utterly mediocre fritter. The trio of veal was equally abysmal. Not a winner among the 3 - sorry Tom, the sweetbreads were not noteworthy. Then the beef 2 ways - the shortribs were fine - I would order them again. The steak flavorless. The portion tiny for $26 or thereabouts. My second visit was at a party with 10 others. The menu was preset with 2 choices from each course. I started with the lobster mushroom carpaccio - it was bland and uninspiring. At that point I decided to fill up on the yummy biscuits knowing what was ahead of me. I had the Halibut - flavorless, unseasoned fish roled in popcorn powder. What stands out is that the bill came to $288 a couple. And one of the guests brought in a couple of bottles of wine. One of our friends remarked "what did we eat for that?" Not much. The restaurant is expensive, and for what you get and the quality of the cooking it is not somewhere I have any desire to revisit. Is that specific enough for you?? Now get off Tom's back.

[TMartin, I'm going to insist that you back this claim up with some specifics, especially since you're new here and are posting under a fake screen name. What, exactly, don't you like about PS7? How many times have you been, and what have you had there?

I mean welcome to dr.com and everything, but sheesh!

Cheers,

Rocks]

I have eaten at PS7 two times. Both times I walked away disappointed and feeling like I overpaid for a meal that was just ok. I agree with everything that Sietsema wrote about in his review and I feel that 1 1/2 stars is an accurate rating.

Kudos to Tom Sietsema for correctly nailing this place in his review today. PS7 has great bread and little else!