monsterriffs

Don, I did the reverse commute this evening with a friend and started at 2B1S and ended at Le Diplomate. Even though Adam was not working, I will say that the Oregano Boulevardier is outstanding. This may arouse skepticism, but I thought the earthiness of the oregano-infused bourbon was a terrific complement to the remaining flavors of this drink. That one drink I had was enough to inspire a future visit.

I consider that $0.73 well spent. I do agree about the lack of wifi as a major downside, though.

And the 90's rap mixes. Cupcakes and Dr. Dre? Yes, please.

I'm currently in Greece where it seems delicious fruits and vegetables will grow anywhere at random, and I've discovered my grandmother's house has a bergamot orange tree. This is a particularly welcome revelation because of all the citrus flavors out there, bergamot is probably my favorite. I'm wondering if it's possible to source either a small tree in the DC/MD/VA area, or if anyone knows where I can obtain the fruits because I'd like to use the rinds for various recipes. Thanks!

Okay, I can appreciate the desire to not eat a behemoth of a cupcake, but shouldn't the pricing be commensurate? I'm fairly certain that GC and B&W charge roughly the same price for their cupcakes, and GC's are a good deal smaller than B&W's. While I don't think it's appropriate to be charging for hype"”which is what I think GC is doing"”I suppose that is the American way. For the sake of argument, I will probably conduct a comparison test at some point. Hard work it is, but it must be done in the name of the Internetâ„¢.

I've just returned from a 4-day jaunt to Dubrovnik (am back in Greece for now), and can report on a few places in the city. First things first, Dubrovnik is one of the best places I've traveled to (in my limited travel experience) and would highly recommend Croatia in general. The people are quite friendly and are not displaying any obvious 'tourist fatigue' (emphasis on obvious), transportation around the city is easy, and there are plenty of high and low options for dining and drinks. Here's a brief overview of the places we visited: Lokanda Peskarija"”Avoid. This place overlooking the harbor in the old city is overpriced and of poor quality. According to our local hostess, LP is the victim of overexpansion. When it was a smaller restaurant, this was one of DBV's best places for seafood. However, the seafood platter we ordered was a sad assortment of likely frozen seafood quickly tossed in a skillet and served to us. The shrimp were of a questionable color (pinkish with occasional blackening and greying), and quite flavorless. The mussels were similarly flavorless, and the filleted fish (swordfish and mackerel, I believe) were tough and a bit smelly (no clean ocean smell). I didn't even bother with the cuttlefish. Taj Mahal"”Go. Despite the name, this is actually a restaurant (with multiple locations I believe) that specializes in Bosnian food, which is a meat-centric cuisine. I sampled a couple of dishes, including a veal dish in a phyllo-like dough and a dish with a bunch of ground beef links cooked on a grill and placed in a large pita bread. The latter dish is also served with a cream cheese-type spread. The latter dish was very good, as was the first. We also got a salad that resembled a Greek salad, but with boiled potatoes, which I really enjoyed. Very hearty and good fuel for walking around the old city later in the day. Toni Spaghetteria"”Meh. A decent pasta place socked away in the old city, but targets tourists exclusively. I had the conchiglioni with 4 types of mushrooms, which was served in a cream sauce. The shells were cooked to a nice al dente texture, and the sauce and mushrooms were flavorful, but there was no wow factor for any aspect of the dish. Thus, I can't really say much about the dish other than it was no more than carboloading for more walking around the city. Restaurant Kopun"”Absolutely Go. This was the highlight of the trip. Located in the old city's Jesuit square, Kopun opened in 2012 and focuses on refined Croatian classics and its specialty is preparations of capon (aka castrated rooster). My cousin and I split the capon salad and fried calamari, and we each got the stewed capon dish as our mains. The salad was an excellent preparation of salad greens, fresh figs, peaches, and perhaps grapes with a balsamic drizzle. The fruits in the salad were all very flavorful and fresh, and provided a very nice counterpoint to the light savory flavor of the capon. The calamari dish rivaled any calamari I've had in Greece (my gold standard for calamari), and was flavorful with an al dente texture and a nice side dish of potatoes. The stewed capon was my favorite dish in all 5 days with two significant pieces of dark meat garnished with fresh fruits and a lightly sweet sauce that was neither cloying nor syrupy in texture. I would likely travel back to DBV for this dish. Buža Bar"”Absolutely Go. Extremely touristy but worth it nonetheless. The famed Buža Bars are located on the exterior of the old city walls and overlook the Adriatic. They can be found by heading to the south of the old city and looking for signs that say "cold drinks," and entering through a hole in the wall (i.e. a 'buža'). Don't expect a gin with housemade tonic or some other tropical tiki monstrosity. Just go here, get a KarlovaÄko or a Ožujsko beer and watch the sun set over the sea while sitting either at a table or on the rocks. It was one of the simplest and most satisfying things we did. Just hope you don't see a dumb French girl almost fall off the rocks like we did. Art Caffe"”Go. A small and friendly bar/café just north of the Pile Gate of the old city. Good for a few drinks before or after dinner. I realize that many of these locations are targeted to tourists and I wanted to go to places that locals tend to visit. However, because Dubrovnik is so small, we were told that invariably the locals end up at some of the touristy places anyway. Nevertheless, if you don't really care about whether something is touristy or not, I definitely recommend visiting at least some of the places we went to (except Lokanda Peskarija).

I finally made it here last night after an aborted attempt several months ago, and I'm glad I finally made it because I think this is actually a very nice space for larger-party dinners. The food was quite good, but not everything was a hit. Thankfully, I got to sample a wide cross-section of the menu because my dining companions and I decided to share our first and second courses. From the first courses, the stuffed squid and scallops ceviche were highlights to me, as was the charcuterie plate (I particularly enjoyed the camembert and american prosciutto). I'd say the combination of the swiss chard pesto and prosciutto really made that squid a star dish. From the second courses, the escargot ravioli was possibly the best thing I had all night, with a very strong earthy and meaty flavor to the filling. I also quite enjoyed the preparation of the veal's liver and a bit of the porchetta my friend ordered. The halibut I ordered was good, albeit a bit dry at times, and I didn't care for the arctic char. The only qualm with the service I had was the pacing between our first and second plates. Admittedly we did order our mains after our first course had arrived, and it was a Saturday night. Still, it felt like we were waiting quite a while between courses. The explosion of neighborhood restaurants such as Table is one of, if not THE strongest counterpoints to the Furstenberg polemic. Maybe he doesn't feel comfortable venturing to Shaw, but for every Table that opens, the more DC's status as a "rising star" culinary city is cemented.

I couldn't find a thread for Sprig & Sprout up here in Glover Park, but I think it warrants one. S&S is a fine addition to the Wisconsin Ave. strip of restaurants, and actually is putting out some pretty quality bowls of pho and vermicelli. The pho here is what I would characterize as pretty good in a pinch if I don't have time/the desire to go to Pho Viet or somewhere in the burbs. The beef is flavorful, the noodles nicely al dente, and most importantly, the broth is satisfying and lacks that cloying aftertaste the broth at cheap pho joints has. Additionally, their vermicelli has become my go-to summer dish. Packed with really fresh veggies and a healthy dose of mint, the dish's refreshing coolness cuts through DC's classic humidity. They apparently have a strong beer list, which is unusual for a Vietnamese place, and one day, when I have a bit more time to kill for dinner, I'll work through their beer list (has some favorites from Bell's, for example). I'm happy with this addition to the neighborhood as it provides a nice, fresh option for lunch or dinner, and the space is as open and warm as the owners and staff.

Within the boundaries of the District. I haven't tried many of the places out in the suburbs.

That's more accurate

Riddle me this: when was the last time you went to Mr. Yogato? I can safely say my last visit was in either 2009 or 2010. I imagine TF may suffer (or not) the same fate—people will go once or twice, and then go on living their lives...

That and, perhaps, some TV chefs actually became TV chefs because of merit! Even if, for example, Volt and Range are well-received because of BV's placement on Top Chef, I've never gotten the sense that he's relied on that in terms of the cuisine he puts out.

Either I had an off batch, or someone from the restaurant did in fact read my assessment and executed the change within 3 days. If the latter, that is an excellent integration of constructive criticism!!

Hehehe, I should point out I was once part of these unwashed masses who wanted their coffee like they wanted their romantic comedy protagonists—a little bitter, but mostly sweet and white. However, I will credit Yola, the sadly-defunct yogurt and coffee shop, for finally breaking that habit. I think anyone who is the slightest bit curious about good coffee will realize that sugar and milk ultimately cut too far into the flavor of the drink. I know I stopped putting sugar in my coffee when I realized it was becoming too cloying and I couldn't taste anything in the coffee itself. I've gone black and haven't looked back!

As I was in a bit of a "treat yo'self" mood last night, I decided to check out Mike Isabella's new place Kapnos and apply some strict ethnic scrutiny to what he is offering to the DC-area bourgeoisie as Greek food. The focus Kapnos (meaning 'smoke') is grilled foods from Northern Greece, although many of the items of the menu are classic Greek dishes regardless of their local origin within the country. Not wanting to BS around with the shi-shi items on the menu, e.g., kohlrabi crudite (I'm fairly sure the average Greek does not know what kohlrabi is, and certainly not in this economy...) or duck pita (duck phyllo pie on the menu), I lined up some of my favorite foods and those that I thought would most representative of Kapnos' focus. Tyrokafteri "“ Too much tyri (cheese) and not enough kafteri (spiciness). Tyrokafteri should really bring some heat, and I thought the sparse and thin slices of hot pepper could not provide enough heat to balance what essentially was a large plate of whipped feta with olive oil. The fresh-baked pita was really nice though; I always liked that at Zaytinya. Patates tou Fourno (aka Fourno Patates on the menu) "“ My username on this site also happens to list two of the basic ingredients for patates tou fourno (oven-roasted potatoes): ladi (oil) and lemoni (not surprisingly, lemon), oven-roasted potatoes have always been one of my absolute favorite dishes since I was a kid. So, you can imagine they hold a special place in my food life. Isabella's version is good, and more importantly, the dish does not try to do anything clever; they are simple and rustic. The potatoes themselves had that nice golden appearance with some charring, and were neither too mealy nor undercooked. However, in Greek cuisine, you can rarely have oil without lemon, and unfortunately, that's what was lacking from these potatoes. A bit more lemon and this dish will be a standard plate for every table at Kapnos. Charred Octopus "“ This was the big winner, and I could tell from the moment I sunk my knife into the first tentacle. Octopus is tricky to cook (as I learned first-hand recently), so I commend any chef who nails this. This was tender, not chewy in the slightest, and had that great roast flavor. Plus, the green harissa was a really nice addition to the dish. Overall favorite and this should be a standard plate for anyone dining here. Roasted Goat "“ So close, but not there yet. The goat is quite tender and has all the characteristics of delicious spit-roasted meats. However, like the potatoes, it was lacking something to balance out all that meatiness. I would have liked another herb or perhaps a tad more salt on the goat itself, because the harissa + yogurt combo on the plate was not enough to balance. But, I can see this dish improving over time as the restaurant evolves. Overall, I'd say that Kapnos earns a solid B+ right now. Since the restaurant is so new, I imagine the recipes will be worked and re-worked until they hit their peak. However, it's a worthwhile entry and I'll be keeping an eye on its progress over time.

Damn. Good. Coffee. This is also the only coffeehouse to serve me a cup of Ethiopian coffee that I didn't immediately hate. Unfortunately, my only experience with Ethiopian beans has been Yirgacheffe, which is too sour for my tastes, but there was one Ethiopian roast they were carrying that was surprisingly balanced in cup. Plus, can't beat the fact that any bag of beans you buy is never more than a day old.

Yeah, unfortunately, I was all out of beans at home and happened to be by Swings on G, so I stopped in and that happened to be the only bag that looked appealing. I've fast discovered single origin bags are usually the way to go. Will check out the Roastery on my next jaunt down to Alexandria.

Bought a bag of the Diplomat Blend a few weeks ago, and I would rate it a solid "good." I don't know if I care for dark, oily beans, but it was producing a relatively rich cup in the Chemex and an even stronger one in the press pot. Flavor never really jumped out at me (but I realize that could very well be my brewing method) and there was something about the cup that didn't sit well with me. For my money these days, it's Qualia or bust.

Michael Landrum: doin' it right. Looking forward to getting back out there for a post-bar exam treat (one of many I am lining up for myself, haha).

I see what you did there

I was also just here last night and had a fantastic meal. Night Owl, we may have unwittingly crossed paths. Squash blossoms were good, but for my money, the smoked swordfish belly was the clear antipasto winner of the night. Also, the Negroni with homemade rose vermouth was quite nice, as the Green Hat Gin balanced with the rest of the drink's components. Margherita and cottechino pizzas were excellent. I was admiring the nice large char bubble on the crust of the latter—a good sign. I look forward to my eventual return.

Ugh fk: http://m.washingtonpost.com/local/car-smashes-into-dc-restaurant/2013/06/25/341b61dc-dde7-11e2-948c-d644453cf169_story.html

That's true, and the storyline (David v. Goliath lite) is emerging from the neighborhood listserv as part of an advocacy campaign for Max's.

Confirmed by Rocklands—they are taking over the Max's space. Hillvalley's lament is sadly coming true... (I won't speak to the irony contained within their link...)

I searched for a thread for Max's but was unable to find one, so went ahead and created it. Unfortunately, the occasion for the thread is an unhappy one"”Max's, which is a 30-year (I believe) institution of Glover Park, has just learned that its lease will not be renewed. This is incredibly unfortunate because thousands of kids have been weaned on Max's ice cream for years, and it is even Joe Biden-approved. As far as I am concerned, Max's is right up there with Old Europe for staying power, so to lose the shop would be to lose part of the neighborhood's soul itself. More distressing is the speculation by the owner himself that the reason the lease is not being renewed is because Rocklands wishes to expand into his space. To replace Max's with a higher output of woefully bad BBQ (I mean this is one step above slop, again, a far as I am concerned...) is a perplexing thought.