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Thank you to cheezepowder for bringing this to my attention:

"Yuki Nakandakari In at Ocopa" by Missy Frederick on dc.eater.com

I talked to Chef Delgado when I stopped in back in June.  He said the Peruvian clientele wanted more traditional items whereas he wanted to do more cutting edge dishes that you might find in modern Lima restaurants.  Not sure what percentage of the clientele was Peruvian, but it appears the traditionalists won out.

As recently as ONE year ago, Filipino food was a barely existing, dying cuisine in the DC area. We had perhaps a half-dozen restaurants in the suburbs, most of them steam-table food, and some with markets in them. This has become a mini-trend.

This cuisine is very mild. No chopsticks. I'm trying to think of another Southeast Asian cuisine to compare it to, and I can't - it's its own thing. The Philippines was a Spanish colony (hence the name), and there is Spanish influence, but the same can be said for many countries. I've seen the articles: "Filipino Cuisine: More Than Just Lumpia," but the truth is that lumpia is, among many other things, a huge favorite in The Philippines.

The country consists of over 7,000 islands, and to say there's a lot of "regional cooking" would be an understatement.

And I still have not tried balut, and probably won't.

In my early days in the Navy, during Chiefs' initiation, many of the messes would make the selectees eat balut as an initiation rite.  They'd moved away from those hazing type intiation rituals by the time I made Chief, so I never had the opportunity to try it.

On 9/21/2015 at 12:26 PM, Tujague said:

Ninnella has been sold and will soon become Lincoln Park Kitchen and Wine Bar (catchy name, that  ). According to the realtor who did the deal, the focus will be on small plates, and the menu posted in the window lists cheese plates, pastas, flatbreads, and a surprisingly wide range of some creative-sounding dishes at a much lower average price than the earlier incarnations there. If the chef can pull this off--and the realtor told me he is very experienced, though I can't recall details--it may well finally be the sort of place that location has needed (though its history has taught me not to hold my breath).

The chef is Howsoon Cham (originally from the Gambia, from what I recall).  He previously headed the short-lived Newtown Grill on U Street, and before that a restaurant (can't remember the name) in Dupont that had been BEDUCI (currently Scion), and before that Red Ginger in Georgetwon.  I think there was a thread about Red Ginger on here where Charlie Adler touted his skills.  I've never eaten at any of his restaurants, so I can't speak to that, but I hope that this does better than the preceeding three.

Sorry, it's under Pan-Asian.

Was Erik Bruner-Yang associated with Sticky Rice somehow? I could have sworn that before Toki Underground opened, he was doing something with Sticky Rice. Well anyway, I haven't been here in years because of one bum experience, long ago. Sort of like with Momiji - I'm not going back until I hear something that draws me back.

I remember having a long talk with him when he was working behind the bar one night circa 2008.

it is in walking distance to Sushi Taro. I wonder if Sushi Ogawa will influence Sushi Taro to become Kaiseki Taro. 

Having spoken to both Ogawa-san and his partner Higashijima-san, currently at Perry's in Adams Morgan (they are both veterams of the late, great Hisago in Georgetown), it is my understanding that it will go into the old Pines of Florence space on Connecticut Avenue in Kalorama, which is quite an (uphill) hike from Sushi Taro.

The beer program is not as robust as when Leland Estes was in charge.  He had 20 taps installed, only to realize that they only had storage enough for 10 kegs (or more likely, sixtels), and expanding the storage area wasn't feasable.  Still, they had the best draft beer selectioin in Brookland (and really, all of NE DC outside of H Street) until last year's opening of Brookland Pint and Smith Public Trust (it's still better than Brookland's Finest and Steel Plate, in my opinon).

Unconfirmed, but I heard Taylor Charles Steak and Ice may be closing.  Has anyone heard anything more on that?

When I walked by yesterday the windows were papered over and there was a sign in the window with a giant question mark and a cryptic message that read something like "Don't worry, be happy".

I would also point out that Harrar and Sidamo (DC branch) roast their own beans in house.

A few late additions:

- Malmaison under the Whitehurst Freeway in Georgetown has a coffeeshop component.  They use Cuvée beans from Austin for their espresso beverages (supposedly they are the only place on the East Coast to do so).

- Azi's on 9th and O NW near the convention center.  They use Illy coffee for their drinks.

- Lot 38 Espresso Bar next to Canal Park in the Navy Yard area of SE makes their espresso beverages with Illy too.

- H Street Coffeehouse that replaced Sova on H Street NE makes excellent espresso beverages using Ceremony beans from Annapolis, but i just doesn't have the same cozy charm as Sova.

- La Mano uses Ceremony Mass Appeal beans for their espresso drinks.  Mine was excellent, but the place is tiny and not really conducive to lingering, more of a grab a coffee on the way to Metro kind of place.

Anyone been since the breakup? It's on an Amazon Local deal today.

I stopped in for lunch yesterday (yes, it is now open for lunch/brunch on Saturdays and Sundays).  I hadn't been under the previous chef, but I can say that the triple stock ramen they are currently serving is definately worth a visit; it's rich and has much in common with Hakata (tonkotsu) style broth in my opinion.

Tried to stop in for lunch on a Saturday earlier this month.  Despite the hours posted saying they opened at noon on Saturday, it was 12:40 and it was shut as tight as a drum.

Not related. But the Chinese underground has been thumbs-up-ing this place. Ask for the Xian menu, as that is supposed to be the Chet's hometown speciality. But this news was good only as of three weeks ago.

When I asked if the chef was from Szechuan, my waiter told me he "spent a lot of time there", so it's possible he is originally from Xi'an.

Ha! Don't judge a book by its cover, huh? I never would have thought to stop here, but based on your review I definitely will now. Wasn't this place advertising pho just a few months ago? Maybe I'm thinking of another place.

Could be. I think it was called Joe's Noodle House or something like that. And as I recall, the Chinese government took over this entire Days Inn a few years back to house the workers they brought over to build their new embassy housing in Cleveland Park, so this may be some kind of hold over.

Not sure if this is on anyone's radar, but I discovered this place through another website that shall remain nameless (begins with a Y), but even there, it seems to be flying under the radar except for people of Chinese extraction.  Anyway, I decided to check it out last weekend.  Here is a synopsis of what I have posted elsewhere:

My server seemed eager for me to try some of the Szechuan specialties which are printed in English on both the eat-in menu and take-out menu, rather than the Chinese American menu items (maybe it was because I expressed interest in the crispy pork intestines).  Anyway, the menu has a section with "Szechuan and Country Style Entrees"  and "Szechuan Chef's Specials, Appetizers and Cold Dishes".  I stuck with the appetizers:  String Beans in Ginger Sauce, Shrimp with Scallion Sauce, Dan Dan Spicy Noodle with Minced Pork, Steam Dumplings in Red Hot Sauce, and Sauteed Duck Eggs with Green Pepper.

I definitely got the lip and tongue numbing sensation caused by Szechuan peppercorns.  Personally, I thought the steamed dumplings were the tastiest of the lot.  The dumplings themselves were a slightly thinner versions of pot stickers/gyoza.  The duck eggs were what are sometimes known as thousand-year-old-eggs, century eggs, etc. and the green pepper was actually jalapenos.  Although I didn't try any of the mains from the Szechuanese menu, it included such Szechuan staples as Double Cooked Pork and Ma Po Tofu in addition to more interesting sounding items such as Lamb with Cumin and Shredded Duck with Szechuan Sauce.

But, to add another twist, there is yet another menu of specialties (on a separate menu) from Xi'an called Rouga Mo.  These are like muffins/biscuits/flat bread split down the middle and filled with pork that's been cooked with five spice powder.  According to my waiter this is what a lot of what the Chinese clientele (the majority of the diners) come to order.  That and Chengdu Spicy Noodles.  He was kind enough to offer me one on the house, and it certainly would make for a great lunch/snack.

I'd like to nominate Justin's as the Navy Yard/Near Northeast neighborhood bar. Though crowds there certainly ramp up before Nats games, the place has a really nice local vibe at other times. Though the interior is a little one the cold side, in a new apartment building, it's nice to see a lot of the neighborhood newcomers make good use of the place. Food is OK, draft list is very well selected and happy hour is a bargain ($3 Racer 5's til 6pm? Fantastic). I think it will stay a good local option when the Nats hordes flock to Bluejacket and Gordon Biersch this season.

Yes, I've been to Justin's since I first started this topic, and it's not bad. I am really looking forward to Bluejacket though.

As for East of the River, it's seen Ray's and Uniontown Bar and Grill both come and go, but there will always be Players Lounge and Now Big Chair, which seems to have morphed into more of a bar than a coffee shop.

Cafe Leopold in Georgetown also serves Julius Meinl coffee.

Papa-Razi was reportedly Sonny Bono's favorite restaurant in DC.

On Saturday, while visiting friends who live in the Brookland area of DC, we went to the San Antonio Bar and Grill at 3908 12th Street, NE. It claims to be Tex-Mex and there are the obvious burritos and tamales on the menu but it also includes quite a few Peruvian and Central American dishes. I had the chicken saltado, the one where the chicken is above fresh fries, and two companions had various versions of fajita, one beef, one vegetairan. Another companion did a hug slab of barbequed ribs. Although the place is not a destination restaurant, it is well decorated with an active bar, and the food is above average. More important, in the underserved Brookland area, with Colonel Brooks due to be torn down for condos shortly, it is a good place to eat for people near Catholic University.

The owner is actually Bolivian.

Here's the story.

So, it's been over four months now, any word on when, or if, it will ever reopen? And what happend to Barton Seaver?

I hear so much about The Wiedmaier Empire being spread too thin (Alexandria, Downtown, Bethesda, Atlantic City, etc.). Last night at Beck: Chef David Ashwell present and cooking? Check. GM Thor Cheston working the room and tending his wonderful beers? Check.

Out of the 111 beers currently on the list, there's one (*) that they really want you to buy: The Antigoon ($9). It's front-and-center on page one, and the only beer listed in red ink. The menu says it's "brewed exclusively for chef Robert Wiedmaier," with tasting notes that tout the "hints of wonder bread and honey suckle." How could I not try this?

And I'm glad I did, because it's a terrific beer - a double blond that has, yes, hints of wonder bread and honey suckle - you'll find them if you look. For a house beer, this is awesome.

Cheers,

Rocks.

(*) Actually, they also want you to buy the Bavik ($5). Or at least I assume they do since it's on two taps, and they're selling T-Shirts ($8, may (or may not) be 100% cotton) which say, "I got Bavik'd at Becks."

P.S. An interesting thing I noticed on the beer list last night is that, for many of the beers on tap, they'll have a note underneath that says "When this keg kicks we will have X" (X being another beer). Two of the three beers I was going to order were, in fact, kicked - I'm not sure if this is a good thing (after all, it announces what's coming) or a bad thing (it allows a buffer for not keeping the list current). Or maybe it just is what it is.

They probably have Bavik on two of the taps because it's (relatively) cheap and appeals to people who don't really like the taste of beer all that much and thus is probably quite popular. My impression of the bar at Beck's is that it;s more of a scene and less of a place filled with people who really enjoy their beer (for contrast see Granville Moore's). To me, Bavik is just an alternative to Stella, or fllls in for Miller Lite for those folks who like that kind of thing. I guess I'd call it a starter beer (or a gateway beer!)

On 4/21/2010 at 7:07 PM, juliusc91 said:

Any recommendations for other West African places? I have never been to one.

I'm no expert, and haven't been to many, but In the District you have the following (that I know of):

Ghanian: Ghana Cafe (Logan), Bukom (Adams Morgan), Akosombo (Mt. Vernon Square), Buka (H Street NE)

Sierra Leonean: Sumah's Carry out (Shaw)

Liberian: Kendejah (Brightwood)

Senegalese: Chez Aunty Libe (Brightwood/Manor Park)

Oddly I don't know of any Nigerian places.

I've only ever eaten at Kendejah and wasn't overly impressed. I've heard many good things about Chez Aunty Libe though. I believe Tod Kliman did a write-up on it when he was at the City Paper.

I heard a rumor that the owner of Jack's is actually one of the principals involved with Masa 14, and that Masa was doing so well that he was able to close, and pay for renovation to, Jack's. It's hard to believe that he would be involved with the high-quality Masa operation.

I do have to come to Jack's defense in a few regards. It was cheap, edible, had a fun atmosphere for drinking, and they had great specials (mostly for wine, when you could score $10 bottles). The problem with that strip, of course, is that there are just too many places like that. It is what it is. I still have fun hanging out and drinking at many of the establishments (especially the venerable Fox & Hound and its brother, Trio's).

I think something that bears watching in the medium-term is the pending expansion of Hank's into a much larger next door space, and the liquor license purchased by Amy Bowman of the Black Squirrel. A place comparable to Black Squirrel would be a godsend to 17th, and would do a killing. I don't foresee much turnover beyond that, which I suppose is some of the charm of 17th.

Which liquor license did she purchase, Chaos'? That space has been vacant for a while. If she were to bring something like the Black Squirel to that space, it would be great. Jack's apparently was trying to appeal to the beer crowd since they installed a bunch of taps last fall and were advertising "the most number of drafts on 17th Street" but when I went in they only had 9 of the 12 advertised and it was a pretty lackluster selection. Plus the burger was almost inedible.

Very sad indeed. I only went there once, but enjoyed it. One of the best West African places around.

I'll come to mtpleasanteater's defense as well. I was in with a fairly large group on Saturday night and had a great time, but can't help but agree with his assessment about the food. We tried a couple of the newer items on the menu (buffalo wings and brisket sandwich) and just found them to be average. The wings had a nice spicy kick to them, but the rather thick breading (Hooters style) took so much away from them and made them taste overly greasy. The brisket sandwich was in no way bad, but needed something (sauce, salt & pepper) to give it some life. It just tasted like a slice of roasted beef with some bland peppers and cheese. Awful? No, but certainly not something I would order again.

To address the issue of letting a manager or someone know of any issues you have, well, if you're in after 6PM good luck finding anyone to help you period, let alone listen to your complaints. The manager working the bar (I'm assuming the guy with the glasses and beard?) had his head down for most of the night rushing around to pour beer for the growing masses in the space. The only time I was able to get his attention (for a beer) he barked at me that I was standing too close to his server's station and that I had to move before he could serve me. I understand where he was coming from (and I'm sure I was in the wrong), but I can see how someone would not want to wait for 10-15 minutes to get to the bar to discuss their crummy mac-n-cheese sticks with him in this environment.

As mtpleasanteater said, slow/inconsistent service (understandable given the enormous crowds) and mediocre food will not keep me from coming back to this place, which I view as a great beer hall with some snacks that I only get if I'm hungry rather than a bar/restaurant. And there's absolutely nothing wrong with that.

I concur with DPop on this one. While the beer wow's mom, the food left me underwhelmed. It's pretty carb heavy, but I guess that's what people want/nead when drinking a lot of beer.

Can anyone comment on how big the dining room is and how fast the service is? My volunteer group is working on a project nearby for a few weeks and this seems like a good lunch option, if they can handle a group of 6 to 10 slightly grimy people hoping to be in and out within an hour.

I took a group of 20 sweaty runners there one afternoon and they were very acomodating.