lwildernorva

And I thought of myself only as a minor player on this board because of my remote location. Until this: Don's Hassles in Norfolk Apparently the Empire stretches much further than I thought. Cue music from Star Wars as Darth Vader enters for the first time. . . Yes, those alcohol sales until 2 a.m. will doom you around here. BTW, to be fair to my hometown, Ocean View is a problem area, and there is some justification for the restrictive rules. Just sayin', if you're ever down here, and your local contact wants to hang out late in OV, maybe you've got the wrong local contact.

I guess the old joke about "the food is awful and the portions are so small" applies here. I probably wasn't very clear. The argument I can't win with my friend is to skip the Outback and go to an entirely different restaurant with no wait so that we can spend two hours at the table in the restaurant rather than half the time standing outside. When I go out to eat, I generally don't mix in any other activities (no show, no movie, no shopping) and instead expect that I'll have a drink and share a bottle of wine (or two) with the table. There are times when a speedier pace works for me (stopping for a meal on the road, for example), but unless I'm visiting another area and have assurances from my hosts that I don't want to miss a meal in a particular restaurant or during special occasions or circumstances (the Outer Banks during the summer or Williamsburg on the evening of the Grand Illumination), I'm generally unwilling to wait long to be seated. An Outback in Cupertino, California in the midst of the Apple campus, the scene of my most recent Outback meal two weeks ago, definitely does not fit those categories for me.

My experiences at Outback are prompted by a friend who loves it, so when I visit him in California or he comes to Virginia, I know that an Outback trip is imminent. I never have anything particularly bad nor particularly memorable. The cuts of beef are better than I can get at a regular grocery store but not from my local butcher. Cooking to the requested doneness is generally accurate. I like the option of a baked sweet potato as a side with my steak or burger. The service is generally what I'd expect from corporate-trained personnel who are probably threatened encouraged to stay on script. The prices are not outrageous although I'm almost certain that in many cities, as in DC and in my area, there is a local restaurant where I can get a better cut of beef prepared more creatively for roughly the same price. I have noticed, however, that the drive for table turnover here is more insistent than in any other restaurant I've frequented. I know that policy is corporate driven as well, but I am generally aware that on almost every visit, the waiter is trying to move us quickly from point to point in the meal. I guess I shouldn't mind, given Outback's corporate chain nature, but after normally waiting almost an hour to get seated (a wait similarly inexplicable on my infrequent trips to P. F. Chang's and Cheesecake Factory), I'm bothered that I'm not likely to spend more time at my table than I spent waiting to get seated. I'd much rather go to a restaurant that doesn't have a ridiculously long waiting line and spend my two hours at the table enjoying my meal, but I've learned this is a debate that I'll never win with my friend.

Last night, on my recommendation, my brother-in-law and nephew had dinner at Notti Bianche. Interested in their experience, I talked to my nephew this morning who told me that they had had a very nice meal with a lone misstep occurring when he received what he felt was an undercooked serving of sea bass. My nephew asked the waiter to have the chef cook the bass to his liking. The waiter complied, the chef complied, the bass returned to the table cooked as requested, and my nephew was happy. At the end of the meal, he learned that the waiter, without request or other verbal complaint, had removed from the bill the cost of not just one but both glasses of wine that he had ordered. Kudos to Notti Bianche for great service. But the point of my post, although specific to this experience, goes to the more general issue of comping items for errors. I know from reading this board and following chats from the Washingtonian and the Washington Post that there are some people who feel entitled to comps for virtually anything that occurs during a meal (the diner at that table over there stared inappropriately at me for at least a second; I expect a free dessert!). I am somewhat stunned by this attitude. Quick background on me so that you can understand my confusion: I'm not a DC resident, although a frequent DC visitor because of work and Redskin season tickets (beat Seattle!). I've used this board and the chats to get an idea of places that I might like to try and that fit certain price ranges, tastes (mine and others who might travel with me), and locations where I might stay when I'm in the area. Even though I'm in the area less than a dozen times a year and frequently accompanied by folks who may not want the fine dining experience (after a Redskin game, I'm as likely to end up at Old Glory on M Street as anywhere), I've managed to eat at some very good restaurants, including Blacksalt, Marcel's, Vidalia, Restaurant Eve, Tosca, and the Prime Rib. Thus, Notti was on my list when I stayed at the GWU Inn earlier in the season and after that experience, I recommended it to my nephew when he told me he was going to stay at a hotel across the street after last night's game. I am a frequent diner in and around my home of Norfolk (I think our restaurant scene can be fairly described as solid, dependable, about $10-12 lower in entree price on average at the top end than at the best DC restaurants, and several years behind any significant trends--no superstar chefs but several very, very good chefs who have good reputations). I do not shy away from mentioning problems that might arise during my meals. With that as background, I must say that I don't understand the level of expectation that's reflected in my nephew's experience at Notti. I would have expected this problem to be resolved approximately like this: Nephew: Excuse me, but my sea bass seems underdone. Server: I'm sorry. How would you prefer the bass to be cooked? Nephew: I'm still a bit skittish about raw fish; how about medium well? Server: I'll take it back to the kitchen. [8 to 10 minutes later] Server: The chef cooked a new bass for you; could you check to see if it's to your liking? Nephew (after slicing through the fish): Why yes, that's outstanding. Thank you. Server: You're welcome. Please let me know if there's anything else I can do. That's it. That's all I'd expect down here, and that's all I'd expect a restaurant in DC to do. An offer of a free glass of wine or a dessert would be nice (and I'm not arguing that more egregious missteps than the one outlined above shouldn't be handled this way--it's a spectrum of service, not an absolute response) but not expected. When a restaurant does such a thing and I hear about others that do it this way for a minor misstep and without complaint, I have to assume that it's become a learned response, much like the puppy that shies from any human contact because of the beatings of a previous owner. In trying to understand this level of expectation, I know that DC has a large population of status-conscious, status-seeking types who must demonstrate their importance (see, I can make people jump when I snap my fingers and express my royal displeasure!). I also know from personal experience that the level of service personnel in DC does not always match the talent in the kitchen, thus contributing to more errors in the dining experience. In my area, I would say there may be more correlation between the competence of kitchens and servers so that the general level of our basic service, even in lower end restaurants, is generally pretty good. In other words, here I would expect my server to get the order right, communicate it correctly, and serve it promptly after it's ready. Unlike my expectations in higher-end DC restaurants, however, I do not expect many of our servers here to guide me through a menu or wine list. I have experienced and read other experiences about service in DC restaurants that does not always meet this basic level. Of course, "the customer is always right" is a fine touchstone for the operation of a business, but I learned from years in private law practice that you can't always allow clients or customers to run roughshod over your business. Perhaps it's better to say, "the reasonable customer is always right" because with some folks, I feel it's become a game of trying to see how much they can get for free when they go out to a good restaurant. And the only referral business you get from customers like that is other customers who are looking to do exactly the same. Given the profit margins many restaurants expect to make on alcohol, I'm always surprised to hear that any alcohol is removed from a bill, even after a much more vocal complaint than my nephew made. As I said, I probably could have written this post in connection with tons of other restaurants, but my nephew's experience last night and no work today gave me just the right impetus to put this into words. Sorry for the length--even with editing, it's still pretty long! Happy New Year to all!

Although I am attracted, in part, to a restaurant like Citronelle because of the chef's fame (earned by skill and hard work), I don't expect him to prepare most of the dishes that I order. At that level, I do expect that he will bring a vision to the restaurant in terms of food, service, and atmosphere that is regularly executed and that justifies the price charged. In my experience, Richard meets that standard. I'm always happy when I see that a chef, an owner, and their staff enjoy their place of work so much so that they'll spend at least some of their off hours there. So long as they don't act obnoxiously towards their customers, I wouldn't consider their drinking or eating amongst customers on the premises as unprofessional conduct. I knew one restaurant owner who not only did not offer shift drinks or discounts on food to his own staff but barred them from the premises when they were not working. That sent the wrong message, both to the staff who griped about the policy and to anyone, like me, who learned about the policy. I was always left with the impression that in some way, the owner did not like or trust the people who worked for him. Believe me, I know members of the staff felt that way. Although I understand your point, I think I'd rather see Richard on the patio occasionally than a chef or owner who avoids his own place. At least I know that Richard is available nearby, if a bit tipsy perhaps, to handle any situation that might arise.

I second the suggestion for the Blue Talon, which reopened a month ago after a fire last fall. And unfortunately, I must also second the advice to avoid the Trellis. The Trellis was one of my favorite restaurants for a number of years (beginning with lovely lunches outside on Merchant's Square when it first opened and I was still a student at William & Mary). I have not been to the Trellis for several years, but I have recommended it to several friends, each of whom has reported a mediocre, overpriced experience.

I was in San Diego in March and highly recommend Parallel 33. Website: Parallel 33. It's fusion cuisine with the additional theme that all foods served come from countries that share the same latitude as San Diego: 33. The restaurant is small, a little loud, and informal. Service was good as was the food. My friend had the spiced vegetarian samosas with two chutneys as an appetizer while I had the flatbread with three dipping sauces to start. Dinner for her: coriander crusted scallops, purple sticky rice, asparagus, roasted kaboucha, and cashew nut kung pao. I had the grilled duck breast with sweet potato gnocchi (loved the gnocchi!), broccolini, and cranberry coulis. We shared an apple tart for dessert that was good but not outstanding. I had a less pleasant experience at Greystone, The Steakhouse in the Gaslamp. I was solo for this dinner and sat at the bar. Ordered the worst Caesar salad I've ever had in my life, and it all came down to the obvious age of the Romaine lettuce that was used. I should have sent it back but didn't. Some amends were made with the filet I ordered which was cooked to specification and accompanied by good sides of asparagus and garlic mashers, but since my main course was in the wheelhouse of the restaurant, I didn't feel that it was exceptional. And the bartender, while pretty good most of the night, did not ask if I wanted a second post-dinner drink (I did). I finally figured out that since he was not asking anyone else at the bar if they wanted an additional drink, he had nonverbally made last call. Given that it was only 10:30 on a Thursday night (the restaurant advertised it was open until 11), I would have expected that he would have made it clear that he was giving last call. I think he was in a hurry to start his post-work partying. Fast food note: Panda Express offers pretty acceptable Chinese fare. I don't know if it's just a local chain or a West Coast chain (I've never seen them on the East Coast or in northern California where I visit quite frequently), but their food was decent, if standardized, and if you were looking for a quick meal at lunch for less than $10 and had no other local spot in mind, I'd consider going there. They have locations all over San Diego and the suburbs.

I'd add as a consideration the design of the restaurant. If the bar is somewhat distinct and out of the view of the rest of the restaurant, I'd more likely consider a TV. If the bar is integrated into the restaurant with the TV in full view of dining patrons, I'd be more likely to leave it out. If the bar area is fairly large, a TV will work (I concur with the suggestion that flat screen HDTV is the only way to go; anything else just looks too 20th century); if the bar area is small, those flat screens will overwhelm the bar space. Notwithstanding all of this, however, I agree if the restaurant is fine dining, you just can't have a TV at the bar. As much as anything else, that's a feeling without sound logic to back it up. I agree that almost no matter what, the sound should be off and closed captioning used in its place. If the sound is on, you're more likely to get complaints that it's too faint for some and too loud for others. Although I probably lean towards having TVs at the bar in the right circumstances, I equally frequent bars that have TVs and that don't have TVs. Short of joining a group of my friends looking for a place to watch a game (which generally equates with finding a sports bar), I can't recall ever picking a place to go based on whether or not there is a TV.

Tautog's is a generally good seafood restaurant and located in an old-style beach cottage. A relatively new place that does tapas with a good mix of beers and whiskies is Pacifica, located approximately at 36th and Pacific in a small strip shopping center. The owner also owns Crackers and Empire in Norfolk, Six in Hampton, and Metropolis on the Outer Banks, and each of those locations is quite successful. In addition to the other suggestions along or just off Shore Drive, I'd suggest Dockside--roughly the same area as Bubba's, with both screened and unscreened decks that overlook the boat docks and Lynnhaven, and Zia Marie, an Italian restaurant located in the neighborhood that borders the south side of the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Zia Marie is not fancy Italian, but the food is good, the portions are generous, and your boys might enjoy the pizza they do there (by the way, even if you don't see pizza on the menu, ask for it). Quick suggestions if you change your mind about haute cuisine: Cobalt (fusion-type cuisine with an emphasis on seafood), located about three miles from the Oceanfront in a strip shopping center along Laskin Road (cheap alternative in same shopping center: No Frill Grill--a branch of a Norfolk operation--lots of good sandwiches and libations)), the previously mentioned One Fish, Two Fish (seafood obviously and if you're lucky, the weather will be good and you can score a table in a sheltered area outside the main area of the restaurant where large garage-style doors may be opened to give you a beautiful view of the Lynnhaven River), Terrapin's (seafood) in a shopping center located behind the intersection of Laskin and Holly Road (drive up Laskin from the Oceanfront, take a right at Holly Road, which is located about four to five blocks off the Oceanfront; Terrapin's in the first shopping center on the left), and Zoe's (American with an emphasis on beef) near the VB Convention Center. A good sports bar possibility is CP Shuckers with one location at roughly 24th and Pacific in the middle of the tourist area and another further down Shore Drive about a mile from the Lesner Bridge at Lynnhaven.

Although I think that any good reliable neighborhood restaurant would be a good venue, I'd favor the steakhouse bar idea as well. Noise levels tend to be at a semi-sports bar level anyway, and with Georgetown in the Final Four, I can't imagine cheering violating any standards of conduct. Let me make one suggestion. Get there earlier than you think you should. The first game is set for 6:07. There are a number of people (like me) who consider the Final Four Saturday much better than the championship game itself (two games so less a chance of two blowouts, Saturday night so there's Sunday to recover). I've made a regular habit over the years of taking myself out for a fine dinner on that evening and going the distance at the same bar: a before-dinner drink (or two), an appetizer, a full meal, a decent amount of wine, dessert, and maybe a late-night drink to finish off the (hopefully) tense moments of the second game. Everything's done by 11 (except the cab ride home), and I feel that I've had a really special experience. I've often found that business is brisk for that first game, and the chances of getting a seat improve if you're there before 5:30 p.m. I speak as a general basketball fan rather than as a fan of any of the teams playing in Atlanta and as a general fan of a fine evening out rather than any particularly grand culinary experience. I abhor sports bars for the most part (at a sports bar, the person sitting next to you or your dad is much more likely to provoke a conversation you may wish you had avoided) and much prefer to watch my sports in an atmosphere where the patrons aren't uniformly drunk or on the prowl. If you intend to watch both games (and it sounds like you might or might not), two more pieces of advice: the type and length of evening I'm describing may be pretty expensive at a steakhouse bar so that explains my thoughts behind a good neighborhood restaurant where you can keep the bill more reasonable; and whether you end up at Capital or such a neighborhood place, I think the bartenders will find it especially appropriate if you sweeten the tip a bit (my theory--no matter how much you order, the seats would have turned at least once and probably twice in a five-hour period, meaning that the bartenders and servers would have made more in tips despite your high bill; compare 20% on one $300 bill with 15% on three $150 tabs). Enjoy yourself; even if you're not a sports fan, I've always thought there was something a bit electric about the Final Four!