Roger Troutman

RFD sucks. Plain and simple. I've been there maybe five times, and it's always been a disappointment.

Disappointing, because the place has enormous potential. From the realy bad food and inattentive service to the smart ass doorman whose attitude might get him slapped around a bit by the wrong drunkard, the place is simply unwelcoming. It really is a shame that a city such as D.C. doesn't have a first-rate beer bar with more taps than you can count.

Anywhere on Connecticut between Fesseden and the circle.

Amen. Especially between Calvert and the Zoo. Aside from a handful of exceptions, nearly every restaurant along that stretch of Connecticut is painfully mediocre. A decent bar or two would be nice.

I've noticed that the street level of an apartment building at the southeast corner of Connecticut and Woodley Rd., along with the adjoining facade of a demolished storefront, is currently undergoing renovation. It will probably end up being another bank or a Starbucks, unfortunately.

Also, that fairly new building at the southeast corner of Connecticut and Calvert with the parking garage beneath it seems to be a waste of valuable space. I think it's occupied by offices currently, but that would be a great location for a restaurant.

I know very little about sake, but I had the Taru Sake there and was very pleased with it. The service was also very fast and friendly.

Also, the temperature of the sushi was ever so slightly warmer than I am used to. Is this normal for conveyor-delivered sushi? At least to my palate, there is a specific temperature range at which sushi tastes best, kind of like beer or wine. If it's too cold or too warm, it just doesn't taste right to me. This was my first experience with kaiten sushi, so perhaps this difference in temperature is typical.

last year, i spent half a game trying to locate the grill that was selling chorizo. . .eventually found it.

That was by far my favorite food at RFK last season, but I haven't seen them at all this year.

I am best known as the leader, founder, songwriter, singer, and guitarist of early-'80s funk masters Zapp. I was shot to death by my brother Larry on April 25, 1999. I really liked eating and drinking, so that's why I'm here now. Here is the cover of an album of mine that was re-released a couple of years ago, of which I am quite fond (the cover, mostly).

THe Leesburg Restaurant in Leesburg, according to their sign, opened in 1865. A few doors down, the Green Tree has been there at least since 1976 -- they have a Washingtonian Best Restaurants article from that year and Green Tree is the only survivor.

Leesburg Restaurant was a great place for breakfast when I lived there. The booths and the bar look to be at least 60 years old.

Also in Leesburg, Johnson's Charcoal Beef House opened the day that JFK was assassinated. Very little appears to have changed on the inside.

So what is this Sea Cucumber dipped in Astroglide? A new appetizer?

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Jukebox Heroes.

That's actually a pretty good write-up. The Pharmacy Bar and Townhouse Tavern (upstairs) have the best jukeboxes, in my opinion.

They did? You mean into the Caravela/Vida Loca/Brazilian Grill/Dona Flor space? (If so, I wasn't aware that A Caravela had closed.)

I'm not sure what the old space was, but it's the little building directly to the left of the old location. I'm surprised those places have been spared from the wrecking ball for this long.

There is indeed a Red Hot & Blue area at RFK, up from 3rd base on the 300 level. While I can't attest to this directly, I have heard from others that the service is lackluster in typical RFK fashion, the portions are small, and the food is actually prepared off-site and trucked in. On the other hand, we recently discovered a place behind home plate that serves up huge chili cheese dogs that are hot and tasty, unlike the basic franks that are served throughout the park.

As far as tailgating goes, lots of people use charcoal grills in the grassy area between the main road into Lot 8 and the Anacostia. I've never heard of anyone getting busted for that yet.

I tried their version of a Scotch ale a few months ago at the Brickskeller, and I was pretty disappointed. Perhaps it's better on tap, and who knows how fresh those bottles were at the Brick.

I notced that the Dancing Crab in Tenleytown recently moved next door. Does anyone know if the upstairs bar made the move as well?

The Park Bench Pub is now called Uptown Tavern and only the downstairs is open as he cannot legally open the outside structure due to zoning laws. My understanding is that he must rebuild the existing structure completely and attach it to the existing building, as the original permit did not allow a free standing structure, which it is now. The landlord, evidently,will not pay for this, and they are going round and round with regars to this. I'm not sure how he can survive given the limited business he has with only the downstairs open.

This is a big disappointment. The upstairs bar was such an inviting little space. Great for catching the game and throwing back a few beers after work. As I understand it, there were also some typical Cleveland Park NIMBYs from around the corner, complaining about the little outside patio area (which from what I could tell, never saw much use anyway). I wouldn't be surprised if that has had an effect on the status of the rest of the space. My guess is that it will all be torn down at some point in the future.

A few nights ago while having drinks at the Pharmacy Bar, we had a pleasant conversation with the owner of La Fourchette. I'm anxious to try the place now. The service can't possibly be as miserably wretched as Bistrot du Coin.

Their "Booty Beer" is actually Red Hook IPA. I haven't tried their food yet, but the place has a great "neighborhood" vibe to it.

The Zoo Bar would be a dive even if they were hosting debutante balls.  If it smells like a dive (thus, St. Ex is no dive)...If you're too worried about the clientel, go in the afternoon, when the clientel is old retired guys lying about their youth.

A friend and I spent a long and memorable Saturday afternoon at the Zoo Bar last February, during the "Blizzard of '06," drinking pitcher after pitcher of Foggy Bottom Ale. Most of the clientele is definitely local, and rather colorful. I've fallen in love with the place and need to work on convincing all of my friends to follow me there more often.

Another new favorite of mine is The Argonaut, which sits in the little triangle where H Street and Maryland Avenue meet. Another Joe Englert project, it straddles the line between "new" and "dive" in much the same way as Wonderland. The nautical-themed decor has simply been tacked onto this well-worn neighborhood establishment. The bartenders are friendly and attentive, and they seem to be attracting a real mix of longtime residents and newcomers.

I've heard that the upstairs is now open. Has anyone here checked it out yet?

I went to the Rasika site to see what all the fuss was about. I then got dizzy, and vomited. And the silhouette of the dancing lady made me look over my shoulder, as if something were about to appear on my screen that might get me into trouble here at work.

And I HATE sites that highjack my entire screen. My display is huge and I like to stack my browser or application windows on top of one other.

This "flyover" effect might be good for some sites, but a restaurant web site needs to be simple and easy to navigate. It doesn't need to be a display of someone's amazing Flash prowess. All I need to see are up-to-date menus within reason, directions and/or contact information, hours of operation, reservation information if applicable, and perhaps as a bonus, some photos and history of the place.

Memo to From Scratch: Just because you won some sort of award for that Flash effect doesn't mean you have to run it into the ground. Lay off the caffeine or meth or whatever it is that is causing you to design web sites that induce vertigo

One of the bartenders mentioned that the Blue Room space above Bourbon on 18th will be closing in a couple of weeks, with something a little more Bourbon-esque going in. Less dance music, more rock. This is a good thing. Also, Bourbon has a secret, hidden patio out back that will be opening soon!

Is it possible to train a dog to be ridden on by a human being? Is there even such a breed with a back strong enough to support an adult of average size?

I would love to hear what "Buck" Greenwood thinks about all of this publicity. I'll bet she loves it.

I've only been there once in the last six months, and no, they didn't have any real ale on tap.

...I just expect to be treated with respect when I'm paying $140 for dinner at a place.

What it boils down to is respect. I've been looking forward to giving Buck's Fishing and Camping a try, but it's unlikely that I will ever set foot inside this restaurant. I'd rather pass up what might be wonderful food than risk having my meal ruined by the proprietor's alleged eccentricities. I can understand having restrictions on photography in one's place of business, but I feel that the situation could have been handled in a much more tactful manner.

Maybe Chef Greenwood is not aware that nasty letters from lawyers often have the unintended side effect of pissing off potential customers.

I assume that once the merger is complete, the place will be re-branded as AT&T Cafe.

The 18th street space is nearly a carbon copy of the first floor at the Glover Park location, which is definitely a good thing. It's a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

On these chilly winter evenings, there's nothing like a cold Anchor Steam with a glass of bourbon next to it. I can't think of anything I've had from their menu that isn't really tasty. The homemade sweet potato chips and the wings are two favorites of mine, and their sandwiches are huge. They do a nice brunch, as well.