monsterriffs

I believe it's on their website. Fairly predictable list though.

Finally made it here last night prior to the Wizards game and I was curious to see how Greek and Levantine cuisine would be appropriated through the eyes of Jose Andres, who is clearly an admirer of the region. First of all - and this is probably a peculiarity in my mind - is why one would give a Turkish name to a restaurant that clearly has a far stronger Greek influence, from the marble decor to the overwhelming number of Greek dishes. The only explanation that comes to mind is the fact that zaytinya, the Turkish world for olive oil (according to the website) is far more dramatic sounding than corresponding Greek word ladi. Political and linguistic digressions aside, the thing that was ultimately clear was that the vegetable dishes we ordered were markedly better than the meat dishes. The htipiti, a roasted red pepper and Dodonis feta spread, was very lively and struck a great balance between the sweetness of the roasted peppers and the saltiness of the feta. Kolokithokeftedes, pan-fried zucchini and cheese patties, were quite good, with the chef opting to grate the zucchini rather than puree it, which I rather enjoyed. The dolmades yalatzi (note: this isn't the name on the menu, but this is what variation they are in Greece), the rice, pine nut, & raisin stuffed grape leaves were good, though not my favorite. They were good in that they were executed the way I like them, with the rice being cooked through and not too al dente as I find others tend to do, and the leaves themselves were tender. However, I vehemently disliked the presence of raisins in them. Dolmades yalatzi are better as a savory dish and the sweetness was...distracting, if that makes any sense. The arni souvlaki was a flop. The meat was far too dry and chewy, and flavorwise, it wasn't even that impressive. All I could think was "wow, trayila", a word that sort of jokingly refers to the specific gamey taste of lamb. However, the cumin yogurt sauce that accompanies this dish was stellar, and I could envision this working with any number of dishes. The shish taouk chicken kabob, while tasty and including a number of interesting accompaniments, didn't blow minds and left us thinking that the vegetable dishes were light years ahead. Overall, while I would probably support Cava for mezedes, I still enjoyed Zaytinya and it's a good deal especially before a Verizon event.

I'm totally drooling at the thought of this, given how much I loved the similar hamachi appetizer on the bistro side. I bet it would be infinitely awesome if they used toro...

Perhaps I am being a bit hasty, but as I was reading the article, I couldn't help but imagine Temperance Hall being remade into Wonderland North, despite the new ownership's promises to the contrary. Perhaps I'm in the minority when I say I do not care for Wonderland very much.

That Going Out Gurus article was unbelieveably depressing, and full disclosure, I have never been to Temperance Hall, but it is beyond me why someone would want to DESTROY the historic character of such an establishment and to turn it into a completely faceless and terrible, terrible bar.

Check out the first post in today's Kliman chat (I refuse to use the word in the title of this thread) for some more snark related to the ongoing Parker House Rolls controversy. I suppose if the Lord's Prayer were revised to include "and give us this day our daily Parker House Roll," it would be a moot point.

Any recent experiences? I'm headed here with the lady for NYE, and any reports would be greatly appreciated.

Natto is perfectly fine and if you can't handle it, you are Oprah's vajayjays. I love the Hinata market for having friendly service and being fairly inexpensive for supplies when I attempt to make Japanese food at home. God bless 'em.

One would hope that Genghis Cohen is a dining companion..

Oh yes, I plan on taking advantage of this when synaesthesia and some other friends go. I have a 2004 Orangina that I really want everyone to partake of. 2004 'twas truly a good year for oranges...

Oh yes, I just had the onion rings at Hank's the First last Tuesday, and I was enamored by the crisp, NON-GREASY, batter. The lady and I, for a second, thought they were somehow oven-crisped...

The lady and I are deciding between Central, Palena, and Cashion's for dinner plans that evening, and I'm trying to find out some information about if there are special menus being offered at the latter two. For those who might be interested, Central is offering a 5 course meal, priced at $75 for the first seating (5:30 to 7) and then $95 for the second seating, the price of which includes a glass of champagne. Also, I've been calling around to some other places, and for the good of the universe, I'll post what I found out here: Central (as mentioned above): 5 course meal - first seating $75; second seating $95 w/ complementary glass of champagne Tosca: a la carte menu offered as well as 5-course meal, price TBD Proof: a la carte menu as well as $150 tasting menu Poste: first seating - 3 courses for $65 +$20 wine pairing; second seating - 5 courses for $85 + $30 wine pairing Viridian: first seating - 3 courses for $55 + $20 wine pairing; second seating - 5 courses for $75 + $35 wine pairing Cashion's: $90 prix fixe four course menu

Dang, that's probably the best idea so far. I wish I was eating some CT right now...

There's always Nooshi as well.

How many people? Hank's could be a viable option, maybe Sushi Taro as well.

"Your hors d'oeuvres this evening are boxes of pure oxygen infused with a saffron and a white truffle oil."

That as well as the expanded bistro menu. ¡Camarones del diablo para el triunfo!

Is it a BlendTec blender???

Oh man, I just saw this post, thank you for updating us! I haven't been able to find a pickling tupperware like you just showed us, so I've determined I need to use my pickling jar and find a large flat stone that i'm going to wrap in some wax paper and put it in the jar as a weight.

Ahahahaha, "you can has baconz"

For a hot second there, I thought you wrote "braised Borat shoulder" and I was like "Why would go and do something like that?? It would probably taste like goat and fermented horse urine..."

Weird. "Loukaniko" is basically the generic Greek word for sausage, "loukanika" being the plural. Could be one of those words that bled into Italian or vice versa given the proximity of the countries. Is "lucanica" really any different from your average sausage aside from the casing?

A 2007 Diet Dr. Pepper - This soda features a rich bouquet of caramelly, but not overly sweet, Dr. Pepper which is not tainted by any tinny flavors from the can. High carbonation does not distract from the sweetness and finishes with a slight bitter taste.

*Tugs collar* oh, boyyyy.

This is about two months late, but a more recent Ethiopian experience from this past weekend highlighted what has probably been one of my most enjoyable dining experiences as a whole. A group of friends and I dined at Almaz at 12th and U, just up from Dukem, this past Friday and I left the restaurant feeling completely underwhelmed. Underwhelmed because, two months prior, the same group of friends and I dined at Queen Makeda and we were all beyond thrilled. Whether it was the high-quality, but homey, nature of the food to the endless supply of injera, I have been plotting my return sooner than later. Queen Makeda has the advantage of being in small rowhouse, and the quality of the food makes one think (it could be true), that someone's grandmother is manning the kitchen and we are her grandchildren, being fed until exhaustion. Best of all, the food comes with free refills, as does the injera. Seriously, what more do you want?? I have yet to try Etete, but so far, I can't think of a more enjoyable Ethiopian meal than the one I had at Queen Makeda. Ease up on the frankincense though, guys.