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DPop

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Everything posted by DPop

  1. DPop
    I was strolling over to American Ice Company the other night and happened to notice this, which I'm surprised to have not heard about until now. I'm a fan of Thai X-ing, my last visit being one of the most satisfying meals I have had in a good long while (who could complain about 4 courses and free corkage for $40?). The current space is much improved from the old days, but this looked and seems like it might be even more of an upgrade.
  2. DPop
    This is a shame, this was one of my favorite restaurants in high school (the original location in Hockessin, DE was 10 minutes from my parents' house). I went to the 18th and M location and got a cheesesteak a couple weeks back and what I got resembled in no way the delicious subs I remember from my childhood. Another case of over-expansion, I'm afraid.....
  3. DPop
    Tony Conte or no Tony Conte, this is one of the most consistently underrated restaurants in the area. I don't have much time for a long write up but my lunch today (Sashimi of Tuna, Bonito Ranch, Spicy Scallion Vinaigrette with some lovely wafers and the Rockfish with Carrot Broth, Green Chili, Uni Butter, and Crab Dumpling) was the second best meal I have had this year, not far behind Restaurant August. Agree about the decor and the overall stuffy feeling of the room, but that is easily overlooked when the food is this well executed. I have to remember to come here more than once every couple of years, this place has never disappointed.
  4. DPop
    I went once after Anthony left and I can't see myself going back unless there is a significant change at the oven. Speaking of, since it sounds like Anthony is kind of (and has been for a while) in between jobs, why not rekindle the relationship? I always thought this was the perfect place for someone like him, a guy who wanted to be near the oven to oversee everything but interact with the customers at the same time, which is exactly what that counter allows for. More than likely not to happen, but one can hope for the type of quality that he was putting out there 2-3 years ago to resurface....
  5. DPop
    I stopped in with a few friends for a late-ish dinner over the weekend with high hopes based on the menu online and left figuring that I either ordered incorrectly or the kitchen had an off night. I wasn't put off by the lighting or noise like bettyjoan, but I really didn't care for how they laid out the dining space. After wandering to the back later in the night to check out the bar, which seemed like a great space, and walking through Red Apron on the way out, it almost seemed like the dining room was more of any afterthought than a serious dining destination. Anyway, we were seated and ordered the following: Spanish Langostines might be the most overpriced ($16!) dish in the city. I know I know, this is saying a lot in a city where oysters are going for $4 apiece and we have restaurants charging $17 for a bowl of soup. But this was really silly. The dish consisted of two oversteamed langostines dressed with a little oil and parsley, carrying a fairly nice flavor in the few morsels of dryish meat that I got (we were sharing), but I can't imagine any situation where I would order this again. It's one thing for a dish to be seriously overpriced but also superb enough that you would be tempted to splurge and order it again because it was that tasty, but this was not that dish. The Roasted Mushroom + Kale Salad was the star dish of the night between us and the couple we were dining with. I found it to be a bit overdressed between the copious goat cheese and vinaigrette, but really that is a minor quibble about a nice, refreshing and surprisingly bountiful salad. The Half Rotissi-Fried Chicken was somewhat of a disappointment not because it was bad, but because of poor execution. Of the 6 pieces of good sized meat, 3 were unfortunately overcooked and dry, but fortunately saved by a prolonged dunk in the very nice accompanying honey hot sauce. I enjoyed the flavor and the technique of roasting and frying the bird, ours just could have used a few minutes less of each and it would have been the star of the night. This was not bad at all, the wines we had were nice and their cocktail selection spoke to me, but I have to say I agree that I would stop in here for a happy hour and get some small plates at the bar, but there are too many good options in the city these days to consider a full sitdown dinner here again any time in the near future.
  6. DPop
    I've been hearing good things about this place, but have gotten the Birch & Barley reference multiple times, which gives me pause as I haven't have good food experiences there in the past. Anyone been recently? Is it still very crowded?
  7. DPop
    Whoa whoa whoa, I can't do both??? I figured you of all people would be down to do shots with me at the bar, bro
  8. DPop
    I'm assuming you can pay with Bitcoins at this place?
  9. DPop
    Is Julien Shapiro the most underrated chef in DC? Based on my last visit, which included a dozen Olde Salts, Angels on Horseback, and a Fish Pie in a half full space, I think it's fair to say so. Maybe it's the atmosphere (a serious restaurant masquerading as a bar was a good description)? Whatever it is, I shouldn't be complaining about not having to wait for a table at this fantastic little spot.
  10. DPop
    I'll pile on the praise and say that of the many business lunches I have been to in the past 6 months, Casa Luca delivered the best experience last week by a considerable margin. I took advantage of my favorite way to dine at Tosca by getting 2 half portions of pasta, the Spaghetti Carbonara and the Tortellini Porchetta. The kitchen absolutely nailed the carbonara, a dish that can be quite bland if constructed by an unexperienced hand. This particular offering is heavy handed on the black pepper, and given that it was a half portion there was considerably less pasta to soak up the perfectly cooked runny egg yoke, but these factors are what really put the dish over the top. Every bite was coated with yellow yoke and at least 2-3 pieces of the generously apportioned ham sitting in the bottom of the bowl, giving off a smooth silky flavor profile before hitting your palate with a burst of salt and pepper. The tortellini was not to be outdone by comparison, cooked perfectly al dente and sitting in a wonderful savory mushroom cream sauce. The crispy leaves of sage sprinkled a top of the pasta was a nice way to give the dish some textural and spice variety, meshing well with both the mushrooms and the delicious pork inside of the tortellini. Much like Tosca, one could dine at Casa Luca and spend a lot of money on the numerous fine options adorning the menu, but much like Tosca, my best experiences here have been when I have kept it simple and stuck to what I believe to be their strong suits, which are the very well priced $28 wine menu and the house made pastas.
  11. DPop
    Good for her
  12. DPop
    I must say I was a bit surprised by some of the negative feedback at the beginning of this thread, as I have been 3 times now and have enjoyed Doi Moi each time. The staff has always been wonderful each time we have come in and I have found the food to be all around very good. My favorites: The Chiang Mai Chicken & Noodle Curry is the one thing that I have ordered each time I have been in to dine. It has a really nice balance between the creamy, salty coconut flavor of the broth and the slowing building heat of the chili oil that I like to look for in these dishes, as I am a bit more sensitive to hot-spicy foods then someone like my wife. I also like that the chicken swims in the broth on the bone and isn't chunks of white meat like you often see in similar dishes. Thai Wok Tossed Marinated Beef took me back to the good old days of Thai Square in the 2007-09 timeframe when that kitchen was putting out some really great food. This version comes out hot from the wok as opposed to the room temperature version at TS, and the housemade dipping sauce definitely has more acid, but I could eat either version once a week for the rest of my life and never get sick of it. Our most recent discovery on the latest visit was the very well seasoned Sliced Raw Scallops, which is a dish that more restaurants would fiddle with a screw up than not. This is a simple prep with very high quality scallops, sprinkled sparsely with cilantro, chilies, some fried garlic, and a little lime juice. My wife and I might have set a speed record in polishing off this dish, it was delightful and a bit too easy to eat. For full disclosure purposes, Haidar has been in the kitchen each of the times we have been and has stopped by to say hello each time. I don't think this is the reason that we have gotten such good food and service but it's possible that his presence ratchets up what is coming out of the kitchen.
  13. DPop
    That sucks.
  14. DPop
    Heading there for my first time in March. Stella! or August?
  15. DPop
    I had pretty much the same experience as DCDuck a couple weeks back. Abysmal service, beers are very good and quite eclectic, and food is forgettable. A significant note; we got there at around 3:00 on a Saturday and it was probably 3/4 full. By 6:30, it was completely packed and had I been walking in at that time instead of leaving I would have turned right back around and gone for a different bar. I can't imagine how crowded this place will be before Nats games.
  16. DPop
    The best 3 desserts that I had in 2013 were at, of all places, Red Hen and are all currently still on their menu. The Pine Nut Tart is a stalwart that has been on their menu quite a bit since the restaurant opened and is exactly what you want when you are looking for a finishing course that is substantive. The crust on the tart is thicker than what you would see at most restaurants, but plays well with the delicately sweet pine nut topping. Perhaps the best part of the dish, however, is the maple gelato that comes on the side, which my wife has made a dessert out of on its own on occasion. The Maple Custard with Hazelnut Crumble sounded relatively unexciting but I obliged our enthusiastic server's recommendation and was very happy I did. This dessert showed up in a shallow oval ramekin and looked as ordinary as it sounded, but wow was it great. The balance of egg and cream was just perfect, whoever crafted this recipe (Mikey, I assume) must have gone through many iterations to get this how it is, as most custards tend to lean heavily one way or the other. The sweet hazelnuts liberally spread over the top gave it a nice crunch and made the dessert seem like more than it was in terms of quantity, if that makes sense. The brown sugar gelato accompaniment is not quite as good as the maple, but is hardly an afterthought as well. I'm probably screwing up the name, and shame on me, because the Rice Pudding with Dulce de Leche concoction is my favorite of this group. Another really well executed idea that is never going to jump off the menu at you based on the description but tasted carefully crafted and completely satisfying. This dessert comes in a medium sized narrow cylinder and served chilled but not freezing, which is key because it ate as if it might not shine as bright served at either room temperature or very cold. The swirl of dulce de leche, which can sometimes overpower the other taste profiles in dishes, danced so well throughout this glass, giving glimpses rather than bursts in every bite and truly set this dish over the top for me. All of these follow a theme of not being the fussy desserts that you often see at upscale places these days, but finishing courses with some substance that stand up well in the cold months of late Fall through early Spring. I've enjoyed these so much that I find myself eating dinner at some other very good restaurants around town and skipping dessert to come to Red Hen for one of the above and a glass of funky, esoteric wine at the bar. I can't speak highly enough for how well this place continues to do, at multiple levels, in a neighborhood that is really benefitting from having them open.
  17. DPop
    This is still the best white carton Chinese I have had in the area. It's never going to blow your culinary mind, but will most definitely satisfy your cravings for sodium, sugar, and carbohydrates on a crummy winter night.
  18. DPop
    Any restaurant recommendations in Positano?
  19. DPop
    I stopped in for lunch and left a bit underwhelmed after reading these positive comments The Chicken Parm provided an excellent first bite, with a nice crunchy texture and acidic tomato sauce held up by a nice semi-soft roll. Things swirled down hill from there. When I placed the sandwich back into the foil wrapping, I noticed my hands glistening in a slick coating of grease. Not just a little dribble that had dropped out of the sandwich, mind you, they were covered. I found this odd in that I would not expect a chicken Parm to to give off this amount of clear, saturated fat after one bite. Undeterred, I plodded forward into the sandwich and was disappointed to find the middle a mess of tomato sauce and breading. What happened to the chicken? I would catch a saturated bite here and there, but it seems that the majority of the chicken got squeezed outward, leaving the first and last bites of each half of the sandwich to be far superior to everything in the middle. The definition of a mixed experience for me, as those 4 end-piece bites were really quite good. The Chicken Noodle Soup with a soft egg was not exactly disappointing, as it was as advertised, but not something I would order again at $5.50 for no more than a cup of broth, a few chunks of chicken, and some rigatoni. Also, and this was a result of taking it to go, but the soft egg when covered and sitting in the broth for a bit gets totally overdone, leaving the yolk in the egg to be hard and inedible. The Lemon Potato Hash was the lowlight of the meal, a side so bad that it must have been an error in execution rather an outright miss in concept. It's difficult to describe the taste of the potatoes.....it was almost as if they were left to brine in a bowl of lemon juice for a few days, and then poured in a pan to cook in that same lemon juice, and then given a squirt of fresh lemon juice before being served. No pecorino or potato taste, just the extreme tartness of citrus and a faint hint of dill. If I was eating this in the shop I would have sent it back, something I rarely do, but it was that bad. All that said I will give this another chance, as I partially blame myself for ordering poorly and I will probably just eat there when I do so to see how everything is fresh. Definitely not an experience deserving of being italicized in the Dining Guide, though.
  20. DPop
    My wife and I had a delightful dinner on Saturday night in this much improved space. I like that they lightened the long room quite a bit from Againn's dark design, which always made the room feel a bit grim during the later dinners I had there. We started with the Marche Classic Cheese Bread, which was pleasing and well baked, and the delicious Wagyu Beef Bresaola, which was expertly cured and had a delicously rich flavor without coming across as fatty or greasy. These both were great ways to start off the meal, but I can't say that I would go back for either at their price tags ($8 and $20 respectively). The bread was no bigger than a large muffin, which was perfectly fine for our relatively light appetites, but nothing life changing. The Bresaola, however, was delicious, but (and I hate doing this) a very skimpy portion of 4 finely shaved pieces of beef. Great stuff but not where the value is at this restaurant. The pastas are where this place becomes a bargain for the quality coming out of the kitchen. I went with the Smoked Potato Gnocchi, which was swimming in a copious lake of braised duck and cremini mushrooms in an extremely homey sauce that took me back to my childhood growing up in Europe. Perfectly cooked and sized gnocchi that really benefitted from being smoked, which added more earthy depth to this bowl of pasta. This was as good as anything I had at Tosca pre-renovation, a restaurant I used to be very fond of. My wife when with the pleasantly light Campanelle, which came with two large head-on prawns and a delicous shellfish brodetto. This was one of the most unique pasta dishes I have had in DC, showing a flavor profile that I can't remember having before but am looking forward to getting again on a return visit. Overall a great place if you choose wisely, I'm looking forward to coming back as the weather gets older and some of the heartier pastas start coming out of the kitchen.
  21. DPop
    I just got back here from lunch and was planning to come here and inquire why there wasn't a thread full of praise, but I see that we have one and I clearly missed it. The Knife and Fork Pork sandwich is as good as any sandwich I've had in DC since the glory days of the Chivito back when Fast Gourmet first opened. It is $11, which is not cheap, but I challenge anyone to eat this whole sandwich, a bag of chips, and a milkshake in 1 sitting. I think Joey Chestnut might have tapped out at my lunch today, as I barely made it through half of my great sandwich and threw away the last quarter of my shake. Overall a fantastic experience, Buben is using this space the way Potenza should (but never quite could) have.
  22. DPop
    Based on my experiences at Good Stuff and We The Pizza, someone else would have to be paying for me to even give this place a try.
  23. DPop
    Kibbee Nayee, they are not. This place does not resemble the sandwich joints I grew up enjoying in Delaware/PA. Very nice people and the sandwiches aren't bad, but temper your expectations.
  24. DPop
    The Aji Tataki is back on the specials menu right now, and it's just as good as Don said. And dont pause when they ask you if you'd like the carcass deep fried after you've picked out all the delicious raw fish. Just do it.
  25. DPop
    This thread should be labelled NSFW
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