ustreetguy

I would've agreed with you in the 90s, but the food I've eaten at these places in the past year have been mediocre at best. The entrees we ordered at Carlyle last night fell betwee $18-25.00. I can't say they were worth the price.And you and I both know that a long wait isn't a surefire indication of quality. Otherwise we'd all be touting the virtues of the Cheescake Factory.

I hadn't been to Carlyle Grand (well now it's just Carlyle) since they remodeled but went last night for a friend's birthday dinner. Now it really shouldn't have surprised me, but when I opened the menu I started to wonder whether I had eaten here more recently that I thought. You see at some point in the past year, I've probably met friends at Arties, Coastal Flats, or Sweetwater Tavern and I started noticing a pattern on the menu at these places (similar to the Passion Foods places that someone pointed out a few months ago). Have the Great American Restaurants group just gotten lazy or have the menus of all their restaurants always been practically the exact same? I think at least 5 of their 6 restaurants (I'm not including Best Buns) serve the Tex Mex Eggrolls, Blue Crab Fritters, and Hot Spinach & Artichoke Dip - and that's just the appetizers. You can always count on a salad with Warm Goat Cheese & Spiced Pecans, and for dessert you'll never have to miss out on the Warm Flourless Chocolate Waffle. I won't even go into the main courses. As for specifics about the food, my halibut (special last night) was sauced with the same mystery brown sauce that accompanied the roast pork tenderloin another friend had ordered. A bite of the Hong Kong Style Sea Bass made me wince from its overly sweet sauce (live near Tyson's? Try it for yourself at Coastal Flats!) However that goat cheese and pecan salad was actually not too bad. All of this may be old news to people, but I had always thought that Carlyle Grand had always been favorably reviewed (it's one of WP's Editor's picks and had been one of those places that had occupied a spot on Washingtonian's Top 100 for much longer than it probably should have). Is it mere coincidence that they've dropped the word "Grand" from their name?

I can make next Sunday as well, but not April 1 unless we go for lunch.

Denied again So if we stand outside and stare in through the window, would someone be willing to throw out some scraps of the scraps?

So this explains the mysterious comment Michael made to me on Saturday.

Not quite sure why there are two Vegas threads, but you may want to check the rest of this thread as well.Having said that, in November I had dinner at the japanese restaurant Okada in the Wynn Hotel. The sushi wasn't out of this world, but it was perfectly nice. However, the dining room is absolutely beautiful with friendly but professional service.

Unfortunately things don't seem to have changed much since some of you last ate there. I ventured in there with a friend for the first time on Monday night for a somewhat late-ish dinner. I had heard from this website about the crabcake and the shrimp and grits and had to try them for myself. Well the crabcake was a huge disappointment. Yes the chunks of crabmeat were large, but they lacked any flavor. The spring roll paper was soggy and just seemed to get in the way while cutting into the crabcake. Even the mustard sauce that was drizzled on the plate couldn't resuscitate this $11(!) DOA dish. A little bit better was my companion's dish - the roast shank of lamb. The meat was nicely cooked to the requested medium rare, but it was accompanied by an overly sweet cloying sauce. Still, the sauce could be brushed away leaving an acceptable piece of meat. As for the shrimp and grits, I don't think it was awful but I don't think I'd order it again. The shrimp was overcooked by a couple minutes and still had that freezer burn taste, but the grits had a decent consistency and the sausage and onions provided a bit of a kick to the dish. But for $18, I'd rather spend my money on Colorado Kitchen's shrimp & grits.

I’m not usually a big fan of chocolate, but dessert last night at Tosca has converted me. After my half-order of the rich and silky gnocchi in black truffle sauce, I scanned the dessert menu and ended up asking the bartender, Jay, which dessert he recommended. Without hesitation he suggested the “celebration cake”. The dessert is a miniature shaped cake of chocolate and hazelnut with a chocolate glaze and hazelnut crust served in a pool of chocolate sauce and topped with a small ball of chocolate hazelnut ice cream. One bite paired with a glass of 1997 Felsina Vin Santo and I was in heaven. It’s decadent, it’s velvety, it’s crunchy, and oh so chocolaty. If you love chocolate (and even if you don't), this dessert is for you.

Where in OZ are you headed? If your plans take you to Cairns to see the Great Barrier Reef, check out Red Ochre Grill or if in Adelaide (probably your base city in South Australia if you plan on visiting wineries), the original Red Ochre Restaurant. The restaurants specialize in "Modern Australian" cuisine - serving meats such as kangaroo (I had this served rare and it was delicious - just like a very nice venison), crocodile, emu, and wombat. As much as possible, they try to use only produce, herbs and spices available in the bush or elsewhere on the continent. It may not compare to the best DC has to offer, but the kitchens produce good quality food. And besides, you'll never get to experience the flavors of this restaurant here in the States.

Thanks Michael for fitting us in last night. I know a lot has been said about the crab bisque already, but I seriously think it's one of the best soups in the city right now. Rich and creamy with generous chunks of lump crabmeat. If you haven't tried it, you're missing a real treat! And the steak? Seriously - the man knows his meat - and that mushroom cognac sauce is the work of a genius (sorry for the gushing, but you gotta give the guy credit).

Try a laxative.

So what tickled me last night? 1) Tasting the dishes that definitely had the “Power” style yet were composed of ingredients I’ve never seen used at Corduroy. 2) Watching the person at our table who hates shellfish chow down every piece of raw shrimp in the tartare and the other person at our table who had just started eating meat again proclaim the rare venison the best dish ever. 3) A talented staff that performed flawlessly 4) mdt’s continual insistence that it pained Rocks to autograph the photo of himself in the Express 5) A laid back and casual table that was there to have fun! Who knew conversation would go from food to Oscar predictions to documentaries to travel wish lists to favorite contestant on Project Runway?

Don't forget the spicy octopus (I think that may be the random dish that Tweaked took a picture of). Thanks to everyone who helped to arrange this meal. Having had Korean food only once or twice in my life, this was certainly a fun and educational experience. I can't wait for the next one.

Just some suggestions from LA.... For sushi, Katsu-ya in Studio City provides fresh sushi in a modest but crowded space. The Sushi Omakase costs only $35.00 - a steal in any city considering you start with a miso soup laden with whole clams and enoki mushrooms followed by a parade of at least 15 pieces of sushi and hand rolls, all topped off with your choice of dessert. Being in Studio City, you may even catch a glimpse of a lesser celebrity like we did (Grant Show of Melrose Place and Point Pleasant fame - or is it infamy?) One important note - despite the fact the place is in a small strip mall, patrons of the restaurant are not allowed to park in the tiny lot. Valet parking is available for $3.50 but part of me feels it's just a big scam. Then again, it's only $3.50. For Sunday "supper", I'm not sure you'll find a better deal than Lucques. Chef Suzanne Goin offers a fixed price 3-course meal (appetizer, entree and dessert) for $35.00 (only on Sunday nights). Goin who has had stints at Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Olives in Boston [Closed in Jun, 2013], and Campanile [Closed Nov 30, 2012] in LA cooks with fresh local ingredients without too much fuss - allowing the individual components to shine. Last night's dinner consisted of a frisee salad with crispy duck confit, pancetta, walnuts and saba, an entree of an incredibly tender niman ranch flat iron steak with wild mushroom-potato gratin and roasted shallots, and a dessert of almond and brown butter cake with armagnac prunes and crème fráiche - truly one of the best desserts I've had in the past year. One complaint however is that the wine prices seemed a bit steep - even by the glass, but I'm no expert on wine pricing.

I would have to be out of town when he offered this

Happy birthday you calendar diva!

That'll be me sometime this summer

One could argue they're 1986. Heineken? Fuck that foreign shit! Pabst Blue Ribbon is what you'll drink tonight!

Wow - I am officially too old to be a hipster. I actually remember back in college when PBR (in a can of course) was considered the low of the lows. We're talking lower that the Beast, lower than Huber, lower than Schlitz. In fact the only guy in our fraternity who actually liked the stuff happened to be from Wisconsin - or maybe he was just too cool for his time

What timing! I was just mentioning to someone yesterday that I couldn't wait until shad roe starting popping up on menus again. See ya sometime this week (I just hope there's some left by the time I get there).

I'm trying to think of something nice to say about this place, but I'm really reaching. If you happen to like other 17th Street places like Peppers, DIK (Dupont Italian Kitchen), or Trio's then you might not find this place as abhorrent as I do.

Sorry for being so snarky, but for god's sake! Where's the "dead horse" icon when you need it? Don, please delete this if necessary.

No question about it. The aforementioned "Sweet Cheeks" - pan-fried sweetbreads and veal cheeks in an apple cider glaze are a winner. The cheeks are packed full of meatiness and melt in your mouth, and the sweetbreads have a crisp coating and a soft interior. You'll want to lick the glaze off the plate.Now before people start writing on this thread about how much they don't like the service at this place, let me just beat them to the punch. Service isn't the strong suit here. But you know what? I don't care. I come here for the delicious home-cooked food (I mean c'mon! There are just two people in the kitchen!) and laid-back atmosphere - not to feel pampered. Yet I still always seem to leave satisfied.

Not quite yet - these are just our assigned lottery numbers. They still have to post the order of the drawn numbers, right?

The answers are up. So did anyone on this board win?