monsterriffs

Uh, what?

Bahahaha, Desus & Mero (formerly of Viceland, now of Showtime) were all about this a few months ago.

May 3, 2018 - "Infamous 'Dine-and-Dash Dater' Strikes Again"  by Sarah Bellman on vice.com

57 minutes ago, Keithstg said:

Wow. I can't imagine he has a publicist, or if he does he should find a new one. Isabella isn't a sympathetic figure, and this article makes it clear he hasn't learned anywhere near enough from this experience.

This doesn't surprise me. The guy wouldn't even hire a CEO.

Quote

That said, Carman and Judkis still characterize the bankruptcy in a misleading manner. Ugh.  "It’s the day before the chef and restaurateur will file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy" - only Isabella's was a business, not a personal filing. Come on. 

It's a little misleading or, perhaps, Carman and Judkis are assuming that their target audience, i.e., well-educated DC area types, know the distinction between Chapter 11 and Chapter 7 bankruptcies. But, it's likely because the headline is clickbaity.

From ‘Top Chef’ stardom to bankruptcy: The rise and fall of Mike Isabella

Carman and Judkis doing a deep dive, including an interview with Isabella. One of the biggest takeaways is that Isabella just. doesn't. get it. Or, perhaps more accurately, he does not want to. Choice quote:

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'I am old school. I did work in a kitchen 20 years ago. It’s a different world,' he said. 'Obviously, everyone learns every day. I still learn . . . I’m always learning, and I always want to continue to learn and get better. That’s what it is. Nobody’s perfect in life.'

In other words, "I want the latitude to continue being a chauvinist and a prick because I came up during a different era where it was acceptable or wasn't questioned."

Other choice info include the fact that his investors were pushing him to hire a CEO to manage the expansion and Isabella refused to because, seemingly, he didn't want to relinquish control:

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Hiring a CEO is expensive. Very expensive. So you have to be able to afford it first. We talked about it a lot last year. . . . We were definitely interviewing and talking to them. At that point, it was just very hard to give my control up. 

(emphasis added)

I have no love for Isabella, but I did appreciate Kapnos. To my mind, other than Komi, those restaurants were doing really good things for Greek food in the DC area. My late father, who was notoriously finicky about restaurants (he didn't like going out to eat), actually enjoyed the meal we had at Kapnos Kouzina and, in fact, days before he passed, took my mom out to that same restaurant for her birthday. So, notwithstanding it's affiliation with Isabella, I hope that restaurant manages to survive this shitstorm.

Parts & Labor is closing this week.

On 7/21/2018 at 11:01 AM, DonRocks said:

Or not.

Indeed - there was in fact blood in the water.

38 minutes ago, curiouskitkatt said:

I have not been to BeBim at R.House on account I have been not been all that impressed with the other outposts in that space. I have had tacos, and arepas and  both were not noteworthy.  I'm not sure what it is about R.House, but I am not a fan.

I hear you on that --- unfortunately, those two spots you mention are probably the two worst outposts in all of R. House. It's worth a return visit to check out BRD, BeBim, Ground & Griddled, and Stall 11. I don't eat at the Mediterranean place because I can do that just fine at home, and I have zero interest in poke. The pizza place is reasonable too.

16 minutes ago, curiouskitkatt said:

I'm willing to give it a chance, cause bimbimbap. 

 

Sure. But what about BeBim in R. House, among other spots?

Hey, look! Hampden is getting another unnecessary restaurant, this time a sushi place where you get to sip on awesome "Asian cocktails", eat awesome "upscale" sushi, and slurp on awesome Korean ramen (BUT NO PORK BROTH, SO DON'T ASK)!

There's already a decent, Americanized sushi place nearby at Yama Sushi, and 18-8 Sushi also just opened up in the Rotunda if you need to satisfy your craving for over-the-top rolls. But this? What's the point when Hampden (and Baltimore generally) lacks high-quality Indian, Southeast Asian, or East Asian food at large. 

Sigh...

2 hours ago, DonRocks said:

[Done. I uncapitalized "Soon," and capitalized "to."]

... brought to you by the mentality that created The Cereal Bowl.

Bahahaha, is this Chicago Manual of Style or MLA Style?

Also, the same mentality that brought us Mr. Yogato and about 8,000 other silly frogurt shops.

Sigh. Just came across this on the Eaters - Ready for Dress Code-Required Ramen? D.C. nightclub vets are assembling the fashionable noodle shop of their dreams

I don't know why this is getting me so amped up, but it's probably the idea of taking ramen, a generally humble, salaryman's meal, and trying to shoehorn it into a club environment. Also, the last thing I want to do in my nice clothes is eat ramen, because there's bound to be some splashing, etc.

Don - feel free to edit the thread title, but my point stands.

On 6/18/2018 at 10:50 PM, Ferris Bueller said:

Has anyone been here since 2015?  Heading to Baltimore this weekend and have friends flying in from out of the area - wanted to do something fun, kid-friendly - have eaten here several times and had good Bfast/Brunch and DInners but open to ideas.

Anyone?

Why don't you head to R. House for their Brunch House? It's also super kid-friendly in there; I see kids running around at all times.

Latest news is that Papi's will be opening a second location in Hampden soon, taking over the old Dimitri's space (thank god; that place was sketch).

Papi's is reliable, but given the proximity of Clavel, I'm not certain this move makes a ton of sense. I think it makes sense only for Hampdenites who literally want to go no further than two blocks away.

Qualia's future in Petworth put into question with 2019 lease expiration.

All options appear to be on the table, but Qualia may or may not stay in its current location past 2019.

13 hours ago, Shaho said:

"Corner Restaurant and Charcuterie Bar in Hampden to close after tonight" by Wesley Case on baltimoresun.com

This should not come as a surprise. There were constant rumors of staff dissent and turnover, and frequent unexplained closures during the week. Current word on the street (from my neighbor, who I would not say is the most credible source...) is that the head chef on the Charcuterie side will be taking over the establishment and rebooting. We'll hear more soon, I'm sure.

On 4/6/2008 at 9:52 PM, Henry said:

I highly recommend trying the lengua tacos - succulent, enormously beefy. I know what you mean about the res and pollo, they can be a bit dry, but I've always found them pretty well seasoned. Also the guac is thinner and blander than I like, but this place still makes the best tacos in Baltimore imo. Sunday mornings, around 11, seems to be the best time to go both for fresh tortillas and meat.

10 years later, and this assessment of the lengua still stands. I got carryout this past Friday of the lengua, al pastor, pollo, and barbacoa. The latter 3 tacos were tasty, but ultimately didn't stand out. The lengua, however, was a knockout.

These tacos are pretty much carried on the strength of the tortillas, especially where the fillings don't shine. I realize that my assessment should come with the heavy caveat that tacos don't always travel well and they are best eaten in-house, but I think the lengua should stand tall as an exception to this rule.

I'm really looking forward to taking a seat at the shop and eating, so I can provide a full assessment. Nevertheless, this place should be a candidate for italizication. I'm still thinking about those tortillas today...

Just realized that there was no thread for Ekiben, which was an oversight on my part.

Though I haven't actually visited their brick and mortar, I have partaken of their bao sandwiches at the Charm City Cross cyclocross race (excellent post-race refuel), Hampdenfest, and at the 83 farmers market. The baos are reliably tasty, though frequently overstuffed and unwieldy; I wouldn't be mad if they split one bao into two smaller bites and sold them as a pair. 

In some ways, Ekiben reminds me of my beloved late Shophouse---similar spice level, flavor, and relative level of accessibility. I do need to stop into the brick and mortar location at some point soon to scratch the itch, but I'm glad that the 83 market has reopened for the season so I can visit them there if I don't make it all the way to Fells!

Hoo boy, Maura Judkis and Tim Carman with the deep dive: Mike Isabella’s restaurants used nondisclosure agreements to silence sexual harassment accounts, new lawsuit alleges

On 3/23/2018 at 11:17 AM, Ericandblueboy said:

10 Reasons A Rake's Progress is the Most Twee Restaurant DC Has Ever Seen, by Ann Limpert.

Haha, why is anyone surprised? Has no one been to Woodberry Kitchen or Artifact Coffee, where you are destined to eat nothing but root vegetables during the entirety of winter.

2 hours ago, dcs said:

Lawsuit accuses celebrity chef Mike Isabella of ‘extraordinary’ sexual harassment, by Danielle Paquette,  March 19, 2018, on washingtonpost.com. at 1:06 PM Email the author

Forgive me if this has been addressed in another thread, but when I read this, I was wondering if there was a connection between Jen Carroll's sudden departure and the allegations of a hostile work environment detailed in Ms. Caras' complaint.

A Farms store south of Columbia??? Since when?!

RoFo chicken is pretty tasty, but if we're talking fast food fried chicken, I'm still going to Popeye's. Either way, having Western fries available pretty much 24/7 across the street from me (RoFo corp. headquarters!) is dangerous. I'm fortunate not to have succumbed to such temptation, but it is nice to have a spot for that stuff plus easy access to Berger cookies.

No, Wet City is not a strip joint. It is, rather, Baltimore's best beer bar. Don't @ me bro. 

Featuring a frequently rotating list of craft beer kegs on tap---as well a list of kegs that are on deck (!)---it is apparent that the owners of Wet City are beer nerds with deep knowledge and want to make sure you share in that passion. Though Wet City primarily features domestic craft brews, a variety of import craft beers make the list as well. 

The kitchen is no weak link here either. Often seasonal fare, the kitchen demonstrates thoughtfulness and care in its dishes, which run from the Nashville Hot Chicken to pork rinds to deviled eggs.

The spare is bright and airy, which is appreciated given that a lot of beer bars revel in dankness (e.g., the late Brickskeller in DC). White cinderblock walls, wood floors, and light-colored wood table and seating choices set in a minimally decorated space, save for some plant life tastefully arranged throughout. The open space works well so the bar feels bigger than it actually is. Many times, I've been surprised that the place isn't more packed, but I'm happy that it isn't. 

2 hours ago, DaveO said:

Man this place is 30 levels more sophisticated and is characterized as being a chill neighborhood bar.  Times have changed.  Good neighborhood for a good bar.

Indeed. The expectation is something a little dicey when you walk in, but the menu proves otherwise. It’s great; looking forward to returning. 

Needed to start a thread on the very good neighborhood tavern in Highlandtown, Snake Hill. Highlandtown is, arguably, one of the current frontiers of Baltimore gentrification with fancy new condos next to bodegas. Notwithstanding this development, it still maintains the diversity of ethnicity and races that other neighborhoods (cough*Canton*cough) no longer have. 

Tucked just off the main artery of Highlandtown is Snake Hill, a seeming hole-in-the-wall that actually maintains an excellent beer list and, notably, a delicious array of handmade sausages. Not content to focus on the standards, i.e., bratwurst, Italian sausage, chorizo, etc., Snake Hill also incorporates exotic meats into its menu, such as alligator and rabbit + rattlesnake. I enjoyed the 'Pho-Q' sausage, a pork, fennel, and Sriracha sausage, which I opted to have served in the 'Pho' Real' sandwich format; it is what you would expect---the sausage served with pho accouterments such as Thai basil, sprouts, hoisin, and jalapeno. 

I certainly recommend a visit, and I will be certainly be aiming for a return visit to continue working my way through the menu.

Cocktails are very good and not all are whiskey-focused, and they usually have a daily special cocktail. 

The space is cozy because it occupies an old corner store. I’d peg it at about the size of Southern Efficiency on 7th St. in Shaw.