DanielK

OK, I had to go over today for follow-up research. We went over at 1pm, at the tail end of lunch time. They were busy, but not overwhelmed. Placed the order, and by the time we got a table, drinks, and ate a few peanuts, the food was ready. The kids and I shared the 1/2 rack and sausage, beans, and mac & cheese, and there were leftovers. The ribs were sublime. Crusty on the outside, tender meat that pulls easily off the bone, but isn't so overcooked to be mushy. Smoky but not overwhelming, and just a taste of the offered sauces is perfect. I'm not a big fan of the "yella" mustardy sauce, but the slight cloying nature of the red sauce is easily balanced by a couple of shots from the wall of hot sauces available. I have previously loved the sausage, but it wasn't all that today. Needed more time on the grill, and it didn't seem like the same smoky flavorful sausage it had been in the past. The beans and mac & cheese were world class, and I love the cornbread. And the Dominion root beer on tap, at $2 for a bottomless cup, is definitely an attraction. Next time, I'll re-examine the pulled pork!

If you don't visit during weekday lunch rush, you're less likely to have this problem. I've been for lunch twice, and both times the pulled pork was clearly sitting on the steam table too long. However, I've been a bunch of times on weekends or for dinner, and have never run into this problem. Though I think the sausage and ribs are better than the pulled pork.

The Royal Mile Pub in Wheaton.

Al - close to you Amici Miei in Rockville/Potomac has put together about as nice and gently priced wine list as you can in the hell that is alcohol sales in Monkey County.

I live in Montgomery County, it takes me 40 minutes or so to get to Del Rey, and that's still the place I buy most of my cheese. Make the trip.

Now we just need someone in the know to step up to the table and organize a dinner at a local joint...

I just booked Tuesday that week for Grapeseed, and Friday for Centro. With my 3 trips to DC this week, that means February will be reserved for brown rice and daily trips to the gym...

Our service was outstanding. Definitely no complaints there. I don't think you can really evaluate Chef Beauchamp yet. It's really still Ris' menu; I think the rockfish is one of the few new dishes that's his (and as both jdl and I attest, it's a worthwhile addition to the menu). I guess my one reservation is just that entrees hover around $30 - and I can think of more than a few places in DC that I think are perhaps better at that price point. I really have to sleep on it for a few more days before I decide whether, RW aside, I would go there, or say Corduroy, Notti Bianche, Palena, etc.

Uh, do you mean OTHER than Cheesetique? Discussion here.

A belated mini-review from Wednesday. I was at the Rockwellian table with Barbara, MoniqueDC, Lydia R and friends this past Wednesday. Mini-review, because what else can you say about this place that everyone hasn't already said? I'm not a big cauliflower fan, but the cauliflower-parmesan soup was intensely pleasing. You can't ever go wrong with Tom's soups. I was completely undecided on entree, but Ferhat insisted that I must have the pork belly, as I'd never had it before, and he was of course correct. Barbara was so right about pairing it with the Riesling. I had the hazelnut bars for dessert, because even though I've had them before, it's one of my all-time favorite desserts. Service from Ferhat was of course outstanding, though it felt weird every time he said "sir" to me. I mean, dude, we drank scotch together at the last picnic... Rissa of course was the perfect host, and the sorbet "gift" from the kitchen was appreciated by all. A brief shout out to server kitkatpaddywak, who recognized me when I walked in as "the guy who brought scotch to the Ray's dinner". I suppose there are worse things to be known for. Now if we can just get Tom to open up a "Corduroy Classic" in Silver Spring next to the (eventually) forthcoming "Ray's Classic", I'll be a happy man.

We had a very nice meal tonight at 1789. Once we got past the stupidity that is traffic at the west end of M St. in Georgetown, it was smooth sailing from there. Valet parking is complimentary, which is a lifesaver in that neighborhood. We had called ahead to say that we were stuck in traffic; our table was ready for us when we arrived. I had forgotten to request a table in the main room when we called, but our space on the second floor was pleasant. Service through the meal was attentive, efficient, and almost invisible. Courses seemed to come at just the right pacing - water glasses, soft drinks, and coffee quietly filled before you noticed that you needed more. The only service faux pas was just a personal quirk of mine - I hate when you order wine by the glass, and it comes from the bar already in the glass, rather than poured at the table. It's almost universally done that way, though, so it's certainly not an expectation. 1789 is one of those places that "gets it" for RW. The entire menu is available, with upcharges only for the signature rack of lamb and a steak. Oddly enough, even though those dishes are only normally priced a few dollars north of the other entrees, the RW upcharge is $10, which seems out of line. I started with the Scallop Margarita. As mentioned earlier in the thread, this is a fun riff on ceviche, with avocados, sour oranges, onions, sour cream, and of course, scallops. Very well prepared, served playfully in a tall margarita glass with salt on the rim, and tortilla chips on the side. The waiter picked a Muscat to go with this, but I'm completely blanking on what he selected - it's not on the website. Mrs. DanielK chose Lobster Risotto, with butternut squash, cabbage, chanterelle mushrooms and truffle oil. I managed to steal a bite, and if not Laboratorio quality, was still very good. There was not a grain of rice left on the plate, so Mrs. DanielK obviously approved. I'm going to have to do the mains from memory, as they are not on the website menu. I had a Bacon-Crusted Rockfish with spinach and lentils - this was fabulous. The fish was a substantial portion cooked perfectly, with just a bit of char on the crust. The bacon was surprisingly NOT overwhelming, and the spinach and lentils were an excellent match. My wife had the Venison with celery root puree, which also came with the spinach. Cooked slightly on the rare side of medium rare, and served with a pinot reduction, I thought this was good, but not great. There was no gaminess to the meat at all - I couldn't tell that this was venison. The celery root puree was brilliant, though. Our waiter was going to suggest a full-bodied white to go with the rockfish, but I insisted on a red since I knew we were going to share entrees. The pinot noir he selected is also not on the website, but it was a good enough match for the two dishes. For dessert, I had the Lemon Mascarpone Cheesecake with gingersnap crust, candied oranges, and meyer lemon sorbet. This was exactly what I expected - almost a cross between cheesecake and key lime pie. Tangy without being mouth-puckeringly sour, I almost licked the plate clean. My wife had the cheese plate (the only thing we ordered that had an upcharge for the RW menu, but only $3), which had 3 moderately small wedges of cheese. There was a blue of some flavor, a raw sheeps milk cheese with chocolate dusting (!!!) on the rind, and a mild cow's milk cheese that was reminiscent of muenster. It came with a few slices of apple, a few grapes, and several small rounds of a crispy raisin bread/cracker. The cheese was nice, but I thought the crispiness of the cracker was too much for the cheese, and this was no bargain at a menu price of $12. Total for 2 RW menus, one soft drink, 2 coffees, 2 glasses of wine, and a 25% tip was just shy of $120. That was a very reasonable price for this meal, but I'm not sure if I would be willing to pay the $40 - $50 more it would have cost if it wasn't RW.

I took a group of folks today from my office. I think the only real criticism is that nothing was blazingly hot, like we normally expect from some Korean dishes. Panchan, as noted, were decent but unremarkable. The pancake for us did not have seafood, and was actually a bit soggy. We did have this egg casserole that came to the table still boiling, and once it finished cooking, was basically scrambled eggs in broth. Was that supposed to be sauce for the pancake? That and the green bean kimchee I think were the best of the panchan. We also ordered the GoonManDoo, fried dumplings, as an appetizer. Very tasty, and not too greasy. We got a good mix of soups, stews, and other dishes, and everyone enjoyed the food. I had a chicken soup with vegetables, beef, and cellophane noodles. More food than I could eat at one sitting. They also brought out a very large fruit plate right before the check. I don't know if this is normally part of the meal, or something they just did for a large table. Service was on the slow side - there were only 2 other tables, and at lunchtime, it took us almost 90 minutes. Language was definitely a hurdle - there was a lot of pointing, and when someone wanted lemon for their water, we had to go to the bar and point to it! Note for ordering - when the waiter repeats back what you order, memorize what he says. That way, when he shows up later with a bowl of food and states the title of the dish in Korean, you know which one is yours... I did notice portable BBQ grills going out to one of the tables, so they will grill tableside if you order BBQ. Also, the takeout menu is an interesting mix of some dishes listed only in Korean, and others with poorly translated English. The name of the place is still listed only in Korean on the menu! Total damage, after tax, tip, and a few soft drinks, was $15/person. We will definitely return.

I second Joe's Noodle House in Rockville. They have a special icon, beyond their star for spicy, that means "numbing".

Sam Woo on the Pike in Rockville is decent. It's not Annandale, but if you're in the neigborhood, it's a nice place.

Always seems hit or miss to me. I've had some fabulous meals in Bethesda, and some rotten ones in DC. I can't figure out any kind of pattern on days, location, dishes, etc. I was at the Bethesda location a few months back, and had a perfectly nice meal.

Fabulous experience at NB this evening. We had intended to start at the bar, but traffic and backups at the valet stand meant that we got there just on time for our reservation, so we just went right to our table. I've been to this place before, but never in it's current incarnation as NB. I went to Nectar once, and Zuki Moon several times. The biggest change is that the tables aren't as crammed together as they once were. It's a tiny dining room, so you can't avoid having tables near each other and a certain noise level. I just remember having to move tables in order to sit down when it was Zuki Moon, and either through good design or setting up less tables, that's no longer a problem. And they lost those ridculously uncomfortable chairs from ZM, hooray! On to the food! As previously mentioned here, the entire menu is available for RW, with just a few items with $2-$5 upcharges. I started with the Crispy Veal Sweetbreads (squash capponata, toasted pinenuts & aged balsamic, $2 surcharge), which I shared with my wife who had a half order of the Ricotta Gnocchi (trumpet mushrooms, mascarpone cream & herbed bread crumbs). The sweetbreads had just the right balance in texture between the crispness of the exterior, and the soft inside. They were rich, but not overwhelmingly so. The wine pairing with the sweetbreads was a prosecco - a nice start, as I was planning on a glass of bubbly had we made it to the bar before dinner. The gnocchi were also great - I hesitate to order gnocchi, because it's so hard to get the texture right without being gummy. These were perfect, and the mushroom accompaniment was inspired. The other couple at our table also had the gnocchi, as well as the goat cheese frittata. I can't comment on the frittata because it got inhaled before I could ask for a bite. For my entree, I chose the Hanger Steak (shortrib angaloti, glazed chickpeas & salsa verde). It was cooked to a perfect medium rare, and nicely charred on the outside. This also ensured that I wasn't sharing with Ms. DanielK, as char on meat drives her batty. The salsa verde, as JLK mentioned, was very reminiscent of a chimichurri, but was a great foil for the beefy steak. I thought the glazed chickpeas were a touch undercooked, and while the angaloti were very good, the richness competed with, rather than complemented, the steak. But I would still order it again! The wine pairing was a 2003 20 Rows Grappler, which I loved. Ms. DanielK ordered the Diver Scallops (porcini crust, chestnut puree & braised local cabbage), of which there was not a drop left on the plate when she was finished. Four large scallops, perfectly seared. I managed to steal a bite, and it was definitely a treat. I thought the sides complemented the sweetness of the scallops just right - my wife said she could have eaten an entire bowl full of the chestnut puree. Our dining companions chose the Chestnut Pappardelle (home made wide pasta ribbons, braised pork ragu & roasted garlic) and the Stuffed Rack of Pork (white bean puree, braised kale & prosciutto di parma). I had a taste of the pappardelle, and it definitely rivaled the gnocchi for supremacy in the pasta category. My friend who ordered the pork comes from latin american heritage, and while he commented that "well, it's different than the way I'm used to eating pork", he also didn't leave a molecule on the plate, so I guess it couldn't have been all that bad. For dessert, I had the Zuccotto (chocolate almond cake, whipped cream & amarena cherries). Very well done - kind of like a refined Black Forest Cake. Lovely cherries. The only minor issue arose here, when the coffee came ice cold, but it was quickly reconciled with an apology and a freshly ground cup. My wife had the Trio of House Made Gelato (butternut squash, chocolate armeretti & tiramisu), which she liked, but didn't love. The other couple had the Zuccotto, as well as the Port Wine Poached Pear (polenta cake, honeyed mascarpone & hazelnuts), which got eaten down to the pear stem, so I guess it was ok. Rather than having the drink pairing with the dessert, we elected to have coffee with the dessert, and then have the drink afterwards. Earlier in the evening, one of my dining companions, when speaking about a recent meal at Morton's, remarked that "Morton's is like Denny's for rich people". Well, Scintillare Limon (NB’s house made limoncello liqueur and prosecco) is like Mike's Hard Lemonade for rich people. A perfect ending to the meal. They were full - every one of the tables was taken, but the staff was more than up to the challenge. Everything went very smoothly - no unreasonable waits between courses, or anything of the sort. Water glasses stayed full, plates were cleared at the proper time, etc. The parking valet was so backed up on our arrival, that rather than make us stand outside waiting, the hostess took our keys on the way in the door, and said that she would take care of it. She spent about half the evening helping run food to the table, to keep the room running smoothly. Mr. Boylen also stopped by the table to say hello, in between spending most of his evening also running plates to the tables. Grand total was under $60pp, after tax and a 25% tip. What a deal for a wonderful 2 hours. Go.

Portions were very generous, but there was no separate lunch menu, which seemed odd. I had the seafood soup, which was a HUGE bowl chock full of shrimp, scallops, fish, calamari, and an entire small blue crab. A very tasty, rich broth, and it was covered with fresh herbs right before it left the kitchen. For $13, I more than felt that I got my money's worth. I didn't know how to eat the crab without making a mess - it was not cracked at all. I managed. Dessert was definitely nothing special. But the portions were so big, that I could imagine two people only needing to share one starter with their entree, and no dessert, so you can get out of here without spending a ton of money. I will definitely come back, as it's 10 minutes from my house. I agree with JPW that I wouldn't drive an hour for it, but if you're in the Rockville vicinity, it's definitely worth a stop, especially if you like Peruvian/South American cuisine. FWIW, they have a very extensive menu, so our sampling of one soup, one appetizer, and one entree isn't necessarily a representative sampling of the kitchen. Next time I'll definitely try some ceviche.

8pm is indeed the late show for King Kong at the Uptown on weeknights. It was a fabulous film on that screen, though. I went last week (and ate at Dino afterwards!) It is a 3+ hour show, though, so you wouldn't be eating until 11:15 or so if you went afterwards. I put 6pm into OpenTable, and got bunches of hits in DC, so you still might be able to find something for before.

I have a question for you, foodjunkie (is this Chef Seth?) I have been to your restaurant several times, and enjoyed it greatly. But I doubt that my total for an appetizer, entree and dessert actually got to $30. If I remember correctly, your "special dinners" which were 3 courses were under $25. What kind of special menu are you going to do for RW? Kind of a larger question for others to chime in on as well. I think 75% of the places on the BCC RW list I wouldn't normally have to spend $30 for a 3-course meal there.

We're on, and Porcupine said she'd join as well. That's lunch Tuesday at Incas Empire, 1350 Rockville Pike, for those that are confused by the influx of unlabeled posts. All are welcome...

I can't, but you guys could go without me. Tomorrow is the only day this week I'm working from home.

Just popping this to the top - tomorrow at 11:30 still the plan?

The page has now been updated with January 2006 information!

You are correct. Happened nearly three years ago.

Stop the presses - there might be one more stop in Maryland before we get out our passports and cross the river. Jesse Wong is a one-man empire for Asian food in Howard County. I've been to a number of his outposts, most recently Jesse Wong's Hong Kong, on the waterfront in downtown Columbia. I went with a couple of Chinese friends, we ordered authentic stuff (ignoring the menu), and had a very good, if not outstanding, meal. However, I am hearing now that they have put together a 5-star dim sum program for that location. It's a bit of a hike - probably 35-40 minutes from the 270/495 interchange, but good dim sum is always worth the drive. So who's up for one more trip?