DPop
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I had lunch with friends yesterday and have to disagree with a few of the criticisms I have heard here and other places. My whole group found the room to be charming and everything we had was well prepared but devoid of fuss in traditional brasserie style. Also, I had never met or seen Celia Laurent-Ziebold in person before, only read about and seen pictures of her, but she was quite pleasant and tres sexy in the flesh Steak Tartare de Parc was a lighter version than the tartares I enjoyed in Paris but this one was almost refreshing as an appetizer, as the wife and I split it and did not feel as if it made too large of a dent in our appetite for our mains. My wife had the very straightforward Cheeseburger, which like most things here was nothing spectacular but very well prepared nonetheless down to the deliciously buttery brioche it sat atop. The fries it came with were surprising the low light of the meal, as they were a bit nubby and did not stand up at all when they got cold on the plate after a few minutes. My Moules were probably my favorite item that I sampled at the meal, prepped very traditionally and without all the unnecessary additions you see at contemporary restaurants around the city. Very buttery with a nice touch of acid in the broth, which everyone at the table took to dipping their boring fries in to give them some life. If you want to say this place is good, but not great, that's fine, you're probably right, but despite all of the fuss in the media and neighborhood about this opening, I will surely find myself back here in the very near future for some refreshingly unfussy brasserie fare. -
I also got great service from a very attentive team of servers and the outstanding sommelier (not Kathryn, it was a gentleman). The only thing we had that we didn't love was the Rockfish Collar and that probably wasn't fair as we were comparing it to the insanely good Hamachikama at Izakaya Seki (before anyone gets technical on me, I realize that they are different fish, but the preps are very similar). The pizza we had was the best I've eaten since Anthony Pilla was still working at Seventh Hill. The Everything Mashed Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts were divine. The yellowfin crudo was top sushi restaurant quality. And that bread basket. Oh that bread basket...... We will be back, sooner rather than later.
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- Friendship Heights
- Chevy Chase Pavilion
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Ahhh, Louis' Rogue. Had a couple drunken, really awkward happy hours there with rowdy coworkers back when I worked in Chinatown. I bet RJ would fancy the place, and I'm SURE Michael Landrum does.....
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This sums up my thoughts on pretty much any bar or restaurant and is why I had not been to Toki Underground until now. That said, I think the Toki Classic (with a totally unnecessary add-on of Pork Belly) was the best soup not made by Frank Ruta that I can remember having. The crispness of the vegetables, the richness of the broth, and even the very well cooked al dente noodles really sang for me on a night when my allergies had my sinuses clogged to my forehead. The only thing that didn't work, which quite honestly was my fault as I should have known better, was the pork belly, which was probably well cooked when it was plunked on top of the soup, but quickly became overcooked and flavorless after getting dunked in the hot broth. I told my wife, who loves pho while I think it is one of the most overrated food crazes that has hit the DC area, that I would happily be dragged here next time she's hankering for a bowl of soup that she can pepper with some Asian hot sauce. I do think I would go no later than 6pm next time, though, as the 1 hour wait time is very annoying. My phone buzzed with a text from Toki just as I was closing out the tab at Sticky Rice, frustrated and hungry enough that we were just going to eat somewhere else. I'm glad I got that text in time.
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I have ordered twice with my wife and she has ordered once with friends since the new location has opened and I have to say, unfortunately, the the quality of the Shaw location has taken a nosedive. Muted flavors, improper cooking techniques, and foul tasting chicken and shrimp, which is surprising as this was one of the few Thai places downtown who did not have this problem. Maybe the Shaw chef is up in Mt. Pleasant? I'm not sure, but they lost me as a customer (until I hear they have righted the ship).
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I just got back and am pleased to report that it was wonderful. Great interior design, diverse menu, and by my count only one dish over $20 (a very welcome sight these days). Congrats to Sebastian et al, a great staff and space that should do very well in an area starving for something just like what Red Hen offers. Oh, get the Wood grilled Hen and/or any of the pastas. Very well prepared.
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My favorite seat in Washington, DC right now is the one in the middle of the bar right in front of Chef Seki and my favorite dish is the Hamachikama, which I have gotten in the habit of tearing apart and devouring shamelessly like a great piece of fried chicken at a picnic. All that said, nothing to see here. Stay in line at Toki and Little Serow....
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- U Street Corridor
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Anyone know the heat lamp situation here during the colder months? I didn't see them out in the Fall when it started to cool down but maybe it was just the times I was there.
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Ted you will be disappointed. I had an assortment of items off the Thai side of the menu (on principle I won't eat sushi from any combo-Asian restaurant) and not one that I would order again. The meats in the dishes I had were very low quality and none of the accompanying sauces were interesting enough to overcome this. It's only slightly less cheap than Beau Thai but might survive just because of the location and run off from Boundary Stone and, shortly, Red Hen.
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The pizza that is served at brunch here on the weekends is easily top 5 in the area and maybe #2 behind Pupatella with Anthony's restaurant yet to open. Is there anything Frank Ruta can't cook extremely well?
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There was a reason for that, though, and its that the food in the dining room never lived up to the cocktails and burgers in the bar. I'm shocked it lasted this long, but glad it did as I had many a great night at the bar over the past several years
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Hopefully they move closer to DC, I'd be a much more regular customer if this wasn't such a hike
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FWIW I used a Groupon that was about to expire a couple months back and my wife and I both declared that it would most likely be the last time we ever went. We liked the fried shrimp app and the tomato soup that was on special, but our entrees and the overall cost of the experience could not have been more disappointing. This place is a shell of what it was a couple years ago.
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The chicken pesto Panuozzo is really fantastic. One of my favorite sandwiches right now.
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Don your sources are fantastic!
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Happy 105th Birthday, Monica Bhide!
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Thanks JuneBacon, I had forgotten about Eastern Market.
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Thanks xdcx. Any of those in DC or do I have to drive to the hinterlands?
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I apologize, I'm sure there's either a topic about this already or it's been addressed in another thread, but can anyone tell me of a good place (preferably in the District) where I can get beef ribs? Going to give smoking them on my Egg a try this weekend. Thanks for your help!
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Genevieve go with Ravi, just get the menu online and order ahead. It is by far the best of the options you listed IMO, and well worth going to. It is a really unique experience in this area and the food is truly authentic, which you don't find often at the India or Pakistani restaurants in the area.
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I'm hearing from a few people who live near this area that this place, with Seventh Hill under renovations and Two Amy's still as inconsistent as ever, is cranking out the best pizza in the District right now (not including suburbs). New Foodie's reviews make it sound pretty good. Anyone else been?
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A shame for us in Bloomingdale, though. I've found most places tend to take a dip in quality when they expand to multiple locations. Beau Thai is good, but not good enough that they can sacrifice quality to expand their footprint in DC IMO
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Best of luck to you, Mark
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I went yesterday for brunch with the wife and share the younger Rockwell's sentiments. I'm not sure what was wrong with our waiter, a really nice young kid but he was totally out of it. Would disappear for 10-15 minutes at a time (restaurant was 1/4 full) and just did not seem to be all there. However, he was helpful when my wife sent back her Vegetable Breakfast Pizza, which unfortunately came devoid of the promised scrambled eggs and with an unwelcome addition of grilled pineapple. Pineapple is an abomination on pizza unless counterbalanced by something salty like ham IMO, and you will find no such thing on a veggie style pizza. It was replaced with an entirely mediocre and dry Buffalo Chicken Pizza which was brought home and will probably sit in the fridge for a few days before being tossed out due to lack of interest. My Truffled Mac & Cheese Pizza was a good bit better but at the end of the meal I realized I had myself to blame, as I have been here many a time and never enjoyed the pizza. The crust is always both lacking crunch, even a bit tough to chew, and the toppings are never of a particularly high quality. The pizzas are also a good size but should not be in the $16-20 range for a small. They are just not delivering at that price point. The beer continues to be the star here and unless the new chef is just getting warmed up and better food is to come, I think I'll only come for that and the occasional bar snack in the future.
