darkstar965

I'd really encourage you to give Eve a second chance. Maybe just two in the dining room for next time or a weekday lunch in the bistro (my vote for best value at any price for lunch in the region). It's a bummer you had the less than stellar experience you did but, having been to Eve many, many times, I have to think it a very unusual outlier. Eve is one of fewer than five restaurants in the area (also including Komi and Palena) that really define our top tier. Oh, and wasn't aware of the wacky dress code phrasing but, FWIW, I've never felt pretentious vibes at Eve irrespective of whether I was there for lunch or dinner.

At the risk of overwhelming a thread that already has so many great reccs, I love Portland. One of the very best food cities in the US to be certain. Will just underscore two much mentioned reccs, another two reccs that could otherwise be lost and, finally, will add a new one we've loved for years. Much mentioned: Le Pigeon: nothing new to add. A must do on any trip. And, Pok Pok: many locally think PP has been over hyped (it won "best restaurant in America" honors a few years ago from some known source and was featured on NPR nationally) but, as of several months ago, we still really enjoyed it. Two that could be lost. Laurelhurst and Bunk are charcuterie/artisan sandwich spots. Bunk is the better of the two. I think Bunk may be worth of best sandwich spot in America honors. I"d kill for a sandwich spot 80% as good as bunk in DC. Please, please, get a sandwich here if you go. http://www.bunksandwiches.com/ A new recc for the thread that's one of my PDX treasures and which I always hit when in Portland: Simpatica Dining Hall. http://www.simpaticacatering.com/ LOVE this place. It's by the same, artisan meat guys who more recently did Laurelhurst Market. Can reserve for a Friday or Saturday dinner. Our fave has always been to go for the un-reservable Sunday brunch and get there early. Community tables. Local, organic sourcing to the extreme(ly delicious) degree. Ultra creative, always super flavorful, established before all those trends became watchwords. Frickin' wonderful food. Also east side like Pigeon, Pok Pok and Bunk. Oh, and one last personal view: avoid Higgins on any visit of less than a week. Not deserving of a space on any limited schedule. Was the place years ago but has since faded as so many others have emerged in the past 5 years.

When I read the article in the NYT yesterday (and posted about it separately with the "soup nazi" link), I found it pretty fascinating. There's an irreconcilable tension in business (not just restaurants) between 'customer focus' and what I'll call 'proprietor point of view." In plainer English, we like places that do interesting, delicious and innovative things that we'd never have thought of ourselves. We 'know it when we see it' kind of thing. Business leaders like Henry Ford and Steve Jobs both famously discounted market research, believing customers don't really know that they want. On the other hand, zillions of pages have been written about customer focus and, if you phrase a survey question properly, virtually all American respondents will agree that their views and preferences should be central to whatever a car company, computer company or restaurant do. There are obvious parallels one could make to the arts: painters, sculptors, writers, etc and those that hew only to their own compass or try to do what the market wants. So, restaurants. You have the customer-centric kinds of places that allow nearly unlimited requests and customizations (maybe the country club example a previous poster cited). Then you have spots like Pasta Mia, which are more "their way or the highway" but still attract large crowds over many years because they're doing something right with what they're offering for many. I think Gillian Clark is more this way too. Lots of limits to what you can customize or request at General Store but, in my view and clearly lots and lots of others, her food is great and crowds keep coming back as a result. Most places are somewhere in the middle. Take Palena. We had lots of debate on that thread a month or two back about whether or not cool that the change was made with the expansion about separating the two menus entirely and no longer allowing ordering from either in the Cafe. I argued then and would still argue that, at the end of the day, the food, service and overall experience at Palena are fantastic and that's what most matters. And, though they made that change, you can still ask for your caesar salad to be divided there or some other reasonable kinds of things without changing courses substantively. So it'd be wrong to say Palena is entirely inflexible--they're not. There are plenty of restaurants that put out crap but will honor all sorts of requests. They fail. There are plenty of other restaurants that are unyielding on requests/changes yet still put out crap. They fail even faster. My conclusion: The Times article brings a clear bias with its title ("puritan chefs know better...") and didn't really account for the other side of the debate. it's all about the quality of the experience. Give me a lot of choice, give me no choice or take my input selectively. I don't so much care most of the time and find the talent in the kitchen is the thing. Whatever you do on customer input, if the food is great, the experience fine and the prices right, I'll be there. And, despite all the debate about chefs that are more or less resistant to customer input, most will revisit those spots that meet their quality bar irrespective of how 'customer focused' they are. I think that's just the honest reality.

First, for any that don't know the reference, the "soup nazi" was a fairly hysterical character on the immensely popular American televison comedy "Seinfeld" who was brusque, condescending and outright obnoxious to his customers but....served damn good soup. Very short clip here. Whether you know the character or not, totally worth watching: Second, an article from today's Times about largely NY restaurants that do it THEIR way and decidedly not YOUR way: http://nyti.ms/gVU1It And, finally, the question, what spots in our area (DC, MD, VA) are of like spirit? Of course, in the best of ways. My contribution: Pasta Mia in Adams Morgan Why: - Doesn't matter if it's 20 below and there's room to wait inside, you wait...outside...until open time or until they feel like opening. - Once seated, you wait more. Maybe 20 or 30 minutes. Maybe an hour or two. Don't like it? Too bad. - Cash only. Doesn't matter if you're a party of six. Cash or cash. That's your choice. - Want to customize, change or substitute something? Think again. Ain't happening. Push it a bit and you're outta there! - Couldn't someone help the chef so he'd be faster/more efficient? Doesn't have to do everything himself right? Guess that's a reasonable thought but talk to the wall with that suggestion. - The food? Pretty damn good. They make the pasta in house. Rich homemade sauces. Huge portions. One dinner feeds two with ample appetites. Are there others?

Headline: Chef Clark, Robin and the staff of the General Store all kick some serious butt (in the best of ways). Though totally late to this party and thus deserving of scorn, I have to belatedly go on record as a big fan of the g-spot. I'm not sure why I didn't make it here sooner. We live close by. No excuses--no good ones anyway. But, after watching Chef Clark on seemingly every food network show and reading much of the coverage related to customer videos, incidents, rudeness and whatever else, I finally had to make the pilgrimage and see and taste for myself. Have now done that 4 times in the past month so it's now time to write. We went first for a Sunday dinner so no chicken option but....excellent food. I've spent some time on the Gulf Coast and the catfish I had here was as good as any I had there. Then made it back several days later for the first try of the Flay-conquering, Fieri-impressing and buzz-generating chicken. Loved it. Flavorful, moist and generously portioned (3 pieces). I know some have felt the chicken wasn't sufficiently crispy (my paraphrase) and I guess that is a matter of taste. But, when I think back to crispier fried chicken I've had, none had the flavor or richness of the chicken at General Store. Clearly the overnight bath in garlic infused buttermilk helps a bit here . And, I have to think it very unusual that any restaurant would make such a large quantity of fried chicken every week....all to order a batch at a time. I have a high bar for mac & cheese and Chef Clark's m&c clears it easily. When it first arrived at our table, it looked like it might be heavy and dense but it wasn't at all. Rather, the g-spot mac and cheese was light, cheesy, crispy, and one of the best in the area that I've had. It's a different style from Birch & Barley or Central (two local faves) but, whatever kind of cheese, crispy elements and technique were employed, it was very, very good in the simple, soulful way intended. Oh, and those tangy and savory collard greens! My SO LOVES these best of all the sides we've tried. Finally, contrary to the various controversies about which I've read, everyone at g-spot has been nothing short of nice, welcoming and efficient in each of our visits. Clearly this is a chef with strong points of view but she totally backs it up with authenticity, flavor, quality and value. I love how Gillian Clark operates as much as what she cooks. How cool that, though she has become a bit of a celebrity, she's also at the restaurant cooking seemingly all the freakin' time putting out that fantastic chicken, sides (and likely many other things I haven't yet tried). Give me a strong opinion over boring any time. Two thumbs up; for both the food on offer at g-spot and for all the folks who make it possible day after day.

Was up in Rockville this week and someone took me to this sushi place on Frederick Road. It was surprisingly good! IMO, most sushi spots in strip malls (or not in strip malls, for that matter) anywhere are pretty bad, especially when it comes to raw fish. You really have to have a quality recc from a trusted source (or be a dr.com member ) to ferret out the few jewels. Ah, and for those japanese food purists on the board, I'm a pretty avid fan who thinks that Makoto is the best in our area (solely so you can benchmark this recc). This may be one. We just had lunch so I can't speak to the fuller menu of omikase and more exotic items but our boxes included a nice portion of very fresh maguro, white fish and salmon sashimi with an equally tasty and freshly made california roll, salad, miso, suprisingly light, crispy and clearly made-to-order tempura shrimp, sweet potato and rice, all for $11.50. Service was friendly. Kind of reminds me of what I think I remember Tachibana in McLean used to be like. Or maybe what Sushi-ko was like ten years ago. Kind of like Sakana in Dupont or even Kotobuki on MacArthur (both spots we visit semi-regularly) but better quality fish. Maybe doesn't merit a long drive but surely a good bet if up that way or in that area. Nice discovery, excellent value and, I didn't see a thread so here it is.

Could it have been Novo in Denver? Chinatown Coffee buys some beans from them.

Thanks--never heard of this one and a day too late for the need that prompted the request but I'll definitely check it out. Curious: is it "they serve real maple syrup with french toast, waffles or hotcakes" good?

Agree across the board. Chinatown's Counter Culture percentage is small but they tend to mix it up with Intelligentsia the main supplier as you write. They also source some from a smaller Colorado outfit called Novo. Very cool news about Pound and Capitol Hill. And, we are definitely doing much better on the coffee front these days--I liken it to where we were with restaurants circa 2001 or so. Nothing at all wrong with CC. Quality product and an organization behind it with serious commitment to building awareness and appreciation for good coffee--to wit, the Adams Morgan training center they operate. I think sometimes coffee obsessives knock CC because it's the most common and maybe easiest source for independents with a serious quality bar. That said, you have to appreciate the shops that find unusual and tougher-to-access sources. Quartermaine, for example, deals directly with growers/small distributors but their story and history are a bit murky (no pun intended). I know they sourced from Peets years ago but then there was some falling out and, fast forward, now they're supplying other shops. Sometimes need a scorecard to keep track

FWIW, I really enjoy Pitango for gelato and sorbetto and have thought the coffee there respectable. Also, I too would give a thumbs up to Counter Culture (and Peregrine) though reserve my highest enthusiasm for spots that don't typically source from them like Qualia, Filter, Quartermaine, Amouri and Chinatown. We once took a class at Counter Culture's training center in Adams Morgan designed for non barista-aspirants and featured a world champion barista (didn't realize there was such a thing). Great fun.

I like Modern Times but think it different in a couple of important ways from Filter and others. First, it's a bit less coffee obsessed (if you care about that). Good coffee but the folks at Filter are religious about it and it shows in their mix and focus. Second, I've had different experiences with the staff--sometimes have been treated with serious indifference with just a few exceptions of friendlier service. Third and finally, was kind of a bummer they took all the outlets out of their walls (except at the bar area) as their odd (IMO) way of deterring squatters. Seems kind of as silly as the Buzz thread where someone reported a prohibition against ereaders. But Politics & Prose positively rocks as a bookstore so, when I'm there, I'll head downstairs and grab a cup. I'd just never head there specifically for coffee. And, it is way easier to get a seat at Modern Times than at Filter.

We're booked to bring up the rear on Dino's Big Pig fest later this week after not booking in time for the keynote Sunday night with Bev Eggleston. Did anyone go Sunday and, if so, what did you like best? Seems across the week they'll be offering different options as the ossabaw lasts so, given whatever choices we end up having, I figured I'd be well armed with some DR input. Big Pig: love that.

Of course agree wholeheartedly about the overall cafe menu but on the starter/deviled egg news: boo

A Brabo Breakfast review--went this morning with a colleague. I'm generally a Brabo fan. Have had some very good dinners there and remember a great Ribeye, pork shank and a scallop dish in particular. I was and still am on the fence in terms of value. The food was very good but the prices maybe a bit too high for what it is. But not so much that I didn't go back. I've really enjoyed Brabo but think it clearly not in the same league, quality wise, as Eve, Palena, Komi, etc. That's okay--tasting room is a very good value and will return to Brabo occasionally also. So, when a fellow Rockwellian suggested it to me for a good breakfast in Old Town, I instantly booked it remembering the dinners and forgetting it was in a hotel (so would serve breakfast). Brabo breakfast is underwhelming. Like the dinners, prices are very high ($12-$16 for most mains) but the creativity and effort is lacking. Everything was just "fine" rather than deserving of the price charged. The waiter suggested I order the waffle when I asked his advice on that versus the hotcakes. The waffle was good but pretty straightforward with a dollop of creme fraiche and some orange zest. My side of poached eggs was undercooked and the waiter told me that's how they make them there without really looking at what I'd broken open showing albumen too clear versus white with yolk still a tad cool in the middle versus warm and runny. Maybe 30 or 45 more seconds in the water would have done the trick. But, he did take them back and brought out a perfectly cooked set to replace them. My colleague ordered the hash which he proclaimed "fine." My orange juice was overly refrigerator but fresh. Not a big deal. No disasters. Service generally good. But, all in all, breakfast at Brabo seems like something the restaurant is doing as an obligation (to the hotel) rather than with any passion or real effort. Not worth it given the prices, which should probably be 20-30% lower to rightsize the menu. Next time I'll try Jackson20 if I can't stay in the District for something like Tabard's Sunday brunch. Kind of a bummer that there aren't a couple of great breakfast spots in the area (as distinct from brunch, where we now have several excellent options). I know breakfast-only spots (like "Snooze" in Denver) are usually tough to make work financially but I'd imagine an existing top tier dinner spot in DC/NoVa could make decent money doing an interesting breakfast on weekdays downtown with most mains between 8-12$.

Great point out. I've been to Bourbon once and remember thinking it a pretty cool concept (improving perceptions of Rwanda through exclusively indigenous coffee) with good but not great execution. Maybe good enough to return to but then I forgot all about it. Certainly a great mission. There's another concept sort of like it in the World Bank (or IMF?) store on Pennsylvania just to the west. It's mostly a retail store with artisan crafts from all around the developing world and a cafe in the back. Decent coffee but not to the level of the Filters, Sidamos, Qualias, etc here in DC.

Thanks for the reccs! I've had pretty good luck with Hotel Monaco's across the country but hadn't tried the one in Alexandria (Jackson20). I originally booked that but then switched to Brabo when I saw that recc because I've had some very good dinners there and had no idea they also served breakfast. Of course, they're in a hotel also so makes sense. In retrospect, Brabo breakfast was fine but probably not worth the price for me. Will write a bit about it on the Brabo thread. But thanks again for the advice; I was at a bit of a loss for a good breakfast idea and these did the trick.

I'm looking for a quality breakfast spot somewhere in/around Old Town. One litmus test I use for breakfast places is, if they serve french toast and pancakes, do they offer real maple syrup? But that's not absolute. In the district, tabard (sunday brunch) and teaism are both mainstays. Just a place with tables and environment good for sit down and a conversation with decent food....if that exists? Many thanks!

Funny, I've always found his pastries to be hit and miss but more due to personal preference and not due to quality. Love the almond croissants, the eclairs and a couple of the lighter patisserie. Some of the chocolate pastries are very rich. On consistency, he did have a temporary issue a couple of weeks ago in which a staff person had put out the wrong baguettes--I bought one that day that wasn't the same. But, I talked with him about it and he was well aware. In buying baguettes there roughly a dozen times, I've only had the miss once. Jacques has real passion and expertise and puts that into all he does. He even teaches chocolate-making classes from time to time. Very tough to find places with good baguettes and, for me nearly all the time, Cacao is one.

Adding a post here just because 1) I never have, 2) I know Tabard (unidimensionally as I'll explain) very well, and 3) I think it's one of DC's real jewels that, judging from this thread (but not from the freakin' lines that always characterize Sunday brunch), it's not getting enough attention. First, my credentials. When I first moved to DC a decade or so ago, I rented a place a few block walk from Tabard. This was before Whole Foods announced for P St and then everything else was built there. Someone told me about Tabard but positioned it as the best/one of the best (can't remember) brunch spots in town. Loving brunch as much as the next person, I tried it out and LOVED it. Have since been a few dozen times. I think I've only done dinner there once or twice and can't remember it so well so this is really all about brunch. Also, I'm not a big mixed drink type--necessary context. With no further adieu, here are a few of my thoughts about Tabard's brunch and why anyone who's never been there must go, in no particular order: 1. Chantal at the bar. Much discussed on this thread for her amazing and deep knowledge and skill with mixed drinks (er, as a mixologist), I think Chantal positively rocks for a different reason. She's one of the very coolest servers (bartender, bar manager, food server, whatever label) in the city. We nearly always sit at the bar on Sunday mornings because that's where Chantal is. I knew she was a real mixologist devotee but didn't fully appreciate that until I read through this thread. She's awesome. Exceptionally competent, unusually laid back/low key, genuine and nice. I hope she never ever leaves. 2. Donuts. Maybe there is a better spot to get freshly made donuts in the area (please, please, don't suggest Krispy Kreme or Dunkin--blasphemous ) but I just love, love, love the fresh, warm, pillowy, sugared deliciousness that you can get as a single, double or whatever and served with fresh cream and raspberry. Damn are these bad for you--especially if you have three before a big brunch--but they are great. I'd go as far as to proclaim them a rite of passage for any DC foodie. 3. Simply delicious. OK, maybe not that simple but definitely not very complex. The brunch menu is always interesting, usually pretty consistent from week to week and never does creative experimentation get in the way of taste. Whether a salmon hash, poached egg specials, the hangar steak, french toast, trout, lots of others (I think I've had nearly everything they offer for brunch), it's super flavorful, reasonably portioned and always delicious. I understand that many of DC's chefs came through here on the way up but somehow the quality has endured; probably Chantal has something to do with that too . Yes, the whole reservation/patio/line stuff is a big pain but it's because they're deservedly popular so just have to know what you're doing and work around it. For brunch, that means booking with enough lead time, arriving early if a nice day and you want to score a table on the patio or grabbing a couple of bar seats (did I mention that's where Chantal is?) if you decide to go last minute. Tabard is a DC gem...from long before we became a PDFC (pretty decent food city). May it never change (too much).

I'm on a bit of a mission to get more threads started for DC's growing quality coffee shop scene. I know there's a coffee shop thread but great coffee, like great wine bars and, of course, great restaurants, deserve more focused treatment IMO. Filter is the best coffee house in upper NW. I'm defining "upper NW" as red line from Farragut North up to the Maryland border and including Foggy Bottom/West End/Georgetown. With Illy Cafe, maybe/not really Juan Valdez south of World Bank (and now Filter) the only exceptions, this part of DC is shockingly under-served with great coffee. We're over-run with Starbucks, Marvelous Markets and even worse. Filter is in north Dupont on 20th just below Florida Ave and the Washington Hilton. It's great and every bit the worthy comparison to Chinatown Coffee, Qualia, Illy, Sidamo, Peregrine, etc. Filter is not a Counter Culture house. They source their beans from Caffe Pronto in Annapolis, itself one of the very best coffee shops (and wholesalers) in the region. Filter has two coffee menus with one devoted to reserves. Had a great Panamanian from that menu recently. Further, it's a low key place with friendly and knowledgeable staff. They even have a cool Marzocco espresso maker that was custom ordered, painted orange and sports the Filter name. These folks know and love coffee. About the only downside is that the space is very small and it can be really difficult to get a table at nearly any time of day. And now I'll exacerbate that problem with this post but I feel obligated to share Filter doesn't roast onsite but that still jives with my onsite roasting theory; namely, a place that roasts on site can usually be assumed to serve excellent coffee but a lack of onsite roasting does not mean a place isn't top tier. Filter is an example of that. I strongly recommend it to coffee lovers and would love to hear what other coffee-loving Rockwellians think.. IMHO, Filter is cool, exceptionally good and very much the real deal in a bit of a real deal desert.

Another of the growing number of excellent coffee spots in DC that hasn't gotten much attention here is Filter in Dupont. I think it worthy of its own thread so will write a bit more there.

Did a breakfast meeting here last week at someone else's suggestion. Agree the portions are plentiful and the prices low but the food was pretty disappointing. The french toast is supposedly a signature item so I ordered that. They didn't offer real maple syrup (hate that; when you grow up with it it's tough to ever stomach corn syrup substitutes) but it's a diner and rare is the diner that would. But the french toast itself was large and not well soaked so dry in the middle. The even-ness of the char made it seem like it had been pressed like a panini. Bacon was excessively fatty and not crisped. Coffee too diluted/weak. Just disappointing all around. Service was passable but Metro 29, to me, is a super example of how "cheap" and "value" aren't the same thing. The prices were low making the place very affordable but a poor value. But that doesn't matter since the food wasn't good enough for me to return anytime soon.

Right! My mistake--have been for lunch a few times recently but not dinner (excepting the beef feast) in a few weeks so had forgotten. Thanks. And, whew

Was in this past week for lunch (and the week before that and...I digress) and had two things for the first time: 1. Tuscan style bread and bean soup. This was freakin' delicious. Delicate, rich, complex, with a perfectly poached fresh egg. Chefs Ruta and Armstrong (Restaurant Eve) are the two best consomme/veloute/soup makers in the DC region; of this I'm certain 2. Open faced fish sandwich. More straightforward but very good. Lightly fried with plenty of fresh flaky white fish (hmmm--flounder? cod? should have asked). I brought a business colleague with me who'd never been and steered him toward the daily special (the brodetto). I've ordered it a few times and really enjoy it when made without vermicelli and love it when it comes with vermicelli as it did for my colleague. Suffice to say, he's hooked and will be back with family and friends. It wasn't until after I left, in a conversation with someone, that I realized the travesty of a recent change. Chef changes the menu regularly--a great thing that made me not even realize what was missing when I was there: the small snack foods that had been on the menu and, especially, Chef's take on deviled eggs. If anything deserves to become an enduring menu item along with things like the cheeseburger, caesar salad, and gnocchi, it was those deviled eggs. Here's hoping they're back soon!

Laptops and e-readers can be muted by courteous users in the same way that considerate patrons speak in lower voices or move on when finished and they see customers with food/drinks waiting. True that one "hard copy is finite" but hard copies can be of wildly different lengths and nothing stops one from toting several different hard copies. Some folks spend a couple of hours with the Sunday Times and it's not such an unrealistic scenario to imagine a Post reader also packing issues of the NYT, Economist and New Yorker. I'm with wlohmann here. The Buzz policy won't achieve what they're after. Rather, it'll just offend and turn off many customers since hard copy readers can easily hog up a table with a few papers or magazines or a book. I almost think the best policies to manage the tension between readers/campers and eaters/drinkers are just a few gently worded signs on a wall (i.e., please consider giving up your table to someone standing with food or drink if you're finished and the cafe is full) along with diplomatic staff skilled at nicely asking/prodding as needed. Teasim in Dupont sort of works this way.