vsky

It's not James Clark any more is it? I thought he went to DC Coast....

I think this might be the right topic, so here goes, and please don't laugh...Can you get a butcher to pound out the meat? Say a recipe calls for 1lb flank steak pounded to 1/4in thick? Can you just say that and pick it up?

Well I am sure I am not the only one who is always asked where to go for the Holiday Lunch. Well after I sugessted Corduroy and Tabard Inn, someone else mentioned DeCarlos's in AU/Spring Valley.... Has anyone heard about it or eaten there? Washington Post doesn't even list it as a restaurant. Washintonian has this link - let me know your thoughts!

Thanks (if there is a better post to move this to let me know...)

Always been a fan of Bangkok Bistro on Prospect in g-town. Inexpensive, not overly sauced, and accomodating for those who like spicy hot not just more pepper... - me I go for the Kapow, you better like it hot!

Also it's really, well pretty inside - good for small or large groups, also fun drinks...

CLAM

Bummer to hear about the negative reports... I was their 2 or 3 years ago - no real reason but for a nice steak dinner and everything was just fabulous. The quiet table - knowledgeable server. I remember raving about the flavor of my filet, and with some 'blue' cheese topping... no problem with temps and I am picky. Also remebered well the wedge and can't remember other app... Think we had the dynamite cab too (yeah I know not exotic, but I still think it's good). Oh and they did have a great version of my favorite dessert, fresh berries with cream... nice signature cocktail too (stoli doli) Really have been wanting to take the BF there (he's never been) but is it no longer worth it?

Just had a good homemade comfort meal ... Veal chops (pinch salt :-) so juicy, aspargus (drop or three of butter), and I can't believe no one has mentioned MASHED POTATOES! (yukon gold; we had no milk but plenty of sour cream and butter throw on some white pepper) Perfect comfort food!

What a mere 1 cup of mayo can get you...  click.   

I had some yummy potato chips that I dipped in mayo last night at Town Hall (I will write on that the end of this week...) would that count, I really could dip anything in mayo....

I just got an email about this one...

"On Friday, September 16th from 5:00 – 9:00pm, make your Happy Hour a little Happier by helping those in need.

J. Paul’s, Old Glory, Paolo’s Ristorante and Neyla restaurants in Georgetown will donate 50% of their bar revenue to the American Red Cross to aid in their Hurricane Katrina Relief efforts.

Join us in Georgetown, and raise your glass to help!"

Capital Restaurants

EAT well...

DRINK well...

www.donROCKwell.com

from "Ask Tom" a while back I wrote...

Had dinner at Palette this weekend, and It was amazing - the quail salad w/maytag crisp!(complemented by a refreshing sparking rose made only for the restaurant...) - the scallops with morels/foie gras (perfectly cooked) - a squash blossom stuffed with lobster, and the 'chicken spread' (and this was all to start) the black grouper with orzo (goat and tomato) was just great - had a bite of the rabbit but was happily full on everything else. I noticed that your review didn't include what we had eaten - and I have to say this was one of my favorite meals ever in D.C. - I hope that other people go and have the same great experience!!!!

I just checked the website, it doesn't say anything about closing...

FIN in Dupont. Right around from "M Street Bars" close to Dupont and not too far from g-town or foggy bottom by cab. Great service and atmosphere. Food I'd recommend would be house salad and devil shrimp. If you go early there are great happy hour specials with food and drink... www.fin-dc.com

I’ve usually seen this accomplished by the customer asking, whenever the busperson or server comes over with the tap water, “Can we have some bottled still/sparkling instead?” Works like a charm.

Knowing I'm beating a dead horse... (1)In a busy restaurant spending two table visits on water alone is just not practical...(2)Also why should the guest have to intiate any requests while dining... For ex: there are menus for everything in a restaurant except for water and the other "scam items" such as coffee etc.

For a server to offer options bottled or tap (sorry ice water - which does sound nicer I admit...); coffee, tea etc. or heaven forbid "Can I interest you in an 'after dinner drink' dessert wine etc. If the restaurant has those things why should the guest be assumed that they know and will take the incentive to order?

Let me make this last analogy: When I invite someone into my home, and I have a selection of water, bottled and ice to offer would I just grab a glass and pour tap? I hope not, I would take the second to inquire and then offer to the guests preference. Before it's said that the home is different because guests aren't buying, it is that same atmostphere of servitude that should prevail overall. If a guest wants tap regardless of $$ I am sure restaurants are more than happy to serve it....

It must be frustrating for restaurants/employees to feel they bend over backward to make a guest happy, and then are worried that they are being viewed as con-artists...

What bothered me was his justification of the water scam. Any person who has ever been in a restaurant knows that you can order bottled water or sparkling water. I feel like it puts the person ordering in an uncomfortable situation if you are on a date/client, etc, basically anyone you dont want to look cheap in front of. By not just giving patrons tap water and letting them order sparkling or bottled, I feel like the restaurant almost wants to give the impression that you are cheap by drinking tap water. Really irks me when you are paying $100/person for them to imply that! Sorry..my little rant..

Here's my question - how does the server accomplish not asking the table what they want first especially if the table wants bottled H20? The server could first bring tap water and pour it in the pre-set glasses, but then will the guests stop the server right-away, mid-way or after the water is poured? If the tap water makes it into the glasses then the server must take addtional time to remove the glasses and replace them if the table even realizes they can have bottled water. The table could be preset with addtional water glasses...

I think that would all seem clumsy and be a lot more uncomfortable than anserwing a simple bottled or tap question....

Really though, I personally prefer sparkling and don't think it's cheap to drink tap -I just like the fizz... In fact, I'd bet that some tables order $200 bottles of wine and still drink tap, while some tables only share one water bottle.

I'm positive the restaurants are not at all impressed with those who order bottled water any more than they are unimpressed by those who don't. I like how David summed up the water issue "[servers are] merely offering the guest a choice"

The specials $$ scam is truly the mark of amatuers and happens ALL OF THE TIME. To try to state it does not is foolish.

...I still respecfully disagree that specials are a scam, they help make the rest of the food affordable by not putting perfectly good food to waste... At some reputable restaurants the specials have been quite tasty and I am sure not cooked by amatuers. I find the best way to avoid being scammed is check the prices or don't order them.

Call me naive, but it never occurred to me that restaurants use "specials" as a way to jack up revenue.  I always thought the phrase meant that the restaurant got something "special" that day (i.e. catch of the day, etc.) that was being served.

On a rare night I bet specials are something extra special that day, I am not so cynical to believe that they are specially made to jack up revenue. However to make good use of fresh food - a special combination of leftover meat or fish combined with other seafood that will go bad otherwise will force a combination of creativity that the diner may enjoy and the chef doesn't lose revenue by tossing the food even though it is fresh...

I have been to the New Mexico (or AU) loc many times as I work next door and only downtown once… I almost always get the burger (overcooked once but didn’t have time for a refire and it was still tasty) the fries are consistently crisp and I’m usually content with the salads, nothing noteworthy either way…

In a triumph of marketing in the downtown location I convinced the BF and I to a Sunday brunch (some coupon thing…).

Decided on steak and eggs, and ordered my eggs “sunny side” instead of over easy as listed, after my BF (basically) explained this…

Sunny-Side Up: The egg is never flipped. The yolk is a bright yellow hemisphere sitting in the middle of the pristine white. The yolk is liquid, and some of the white around the yolk may have a jelly-like consistency.

Over Easy: The egg is flipped briefly. The yolk does not stand out as strikingly, but is still liquid. The white is no longer liquid. Being paranoid like I am I cut first into my steak – whaddya know it was med-well/well, before touching anything else I slipped my steak onto a bread plate to send back…

After a very long time I found someone who went to find someone who got lost…

Then I found my server myself and asked for a MR steak - okay fine.

Then I went for my eggs, they were…

Over Hard: The white is firm, the yolk is a lighter color and flakey.

Oh boy, BF convinced me to flag down server and get some new eggs, so poor guy probably wanted to stay as far from the table as possible… Then I hear behind us the server and chef of some type (sous or exec?) discussing what I really wanted behind me – chef asking server what exactly I said for the eggs….

At some point I got a MR steak which was good, the runny eggs, and cold potatoes (whatever I was not making a 3rd complaint – no way…)

Anyway – that was my one time deal with the Chef Geoff’s brunch (We went to Georgia Brown’s for Valentines which was fabulous – and only made this seem more ridiculous…) we didn’t stick it to the server with bad tip (he probably worked harder on us anyway), but I hope that the fact that I had to send back my one dish in courses helps for more clarity in the future….

My vote would be for Palette, it would be an absolute deal on RW - and when I went and paid full price it was still worth it. Recommend the Quail Salad, squash blossoms, and def. the scallop/foie gras dish. For Entrees, the grouper and rabbit. Really great atmosphere BTW. Good Luck choosing!

I assume there is good trite and bad trite...right?

(Warning – this may be considered a sub-par posting for lack of style or food knowledge, but such a wonderful experience should be mentioned even in my novice fumbling way…)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Went to Galileo on Monday night, and had an amazing, amazing time. First want to mention our server Levante who made everything extra special…

The wine list is huge, as we (me and Dad) ‘attempted’ to choose, I described my Dad’s desires (driest white) Levante didn’t even need to ask the sommelier, suggesting confidently pinot grigio. Luckily those 4 wines were $35-45 (hey there was a $12,000 btl – so you never know…) I then asked which one was ‘the best’ and he promptly shut the list and said he’d bring the perfect wine (off the list), a similarly priced “Le Uve” Pinot Grigio, Friulvini. I must also mention the sommelier on duty that night, a gentleman who was so charming, explained the presentation of the wine (“washing” of the glasses with the wine a good idea to get rid of residual dishwashing liq.), and conversed with my Dad, (much to his enjoyment.)

Back to the menu – I decided on..

“La Burrata – “Burrata” Mozzarella served with Arugula salad ”

(huge, btw, no way I could have eaten it all), at my dad’s first bite he responded “oh wow… so creamy…” exactly, very decadent. It was served on a bed of arugula (not sure what it was dressed in…) - have decided I am big fan of arugula.

Dad had…

Le Animelle - Veal Sweetbreads poached in milk and herbs, dusted with flour and sautéed, served with ragu of chanterelles, asparagus and black truffle sauce

My dad ordered the veal sweetbreads, again thanks to Levante. When we first ordered he said they were out of the veal sweetbreads, but I guess seeing our crestfallen faces (my dad had just reminisced over his childhood ‘sweetbread’ memories) Levante returned saying the chef on duty would be able to give us the one last serving! I can’t give justice in words to how much the tender sweetbreads with truffles were enjoyed by Dad.

Moving on – I had the

Gli Agnolotti – Pillow pasta filled with asparagus in Mascarpone cream sauce with marinated Prosciutto, Parmesan and basil oil

(Didn’t really see/taste asp? but didn’t matter), and the pasta itself was great, soft and tender. I could not get enough of the sauce (it’s funny it looked like too much at first) thankfully the (asiago?) bread was still at the table to sop up EVERY last drop …prosciutto bits were just enough, and the parmesan was sooo good (sharp and rich)… my Dad commented on how fresh the herbs tasted!

Dad had…

Il Grosso Rombo – sautéed filet of Halibut served with braised beet greens, baby beets, garlic sauce and arugula pesto

He was IMPRESSED… (the filet was also huge) and it was defiantly a showcase of the fish itself, which I think was cooked perfectly, firm, flaky not at all overdone. It was at this point that I also realized how perfectly the wine tasted with the food. I had liked it well-enough at first, but this was an “Ahha!” moment for me that the food tasted better with the wine and the wine became more appealing while washing down the food…. Thanks again to the staff!

I had to ordered dessert even though my Dad insisted he was full! Also ordered cappuccinos (yummy.) so….

Fruita Della Passione – Passion Fruit mousse served with white chocolate sauceI have to say my first bite was a bit unexpected. I got more of a (crumbly?) cake like bottom half, than the top mousse part, so expecting a creamy fruity taste may have confused my taste buds. I am not sure why I didn’t love the cake part, maybe it was too dry for me, but I only mention it because maybe it was off, but again it could be me that’s off. I continue to say that the top-half the mousse part was fabulous, rich but with the fruit not overly so… Despite my initial reaction I would order it again and again.

We thought we were finished…However the wonderful Levante comes over carrying two bright-yellow flutes, Me: “Limoncello! my favorite” It really is, and while sweet for my dad he enjoyed it and also like the little plate of cookies/pastries. We were already getting such a treat with the summer deal, and yet they went above and beyond until the end…

For my Dad a meal is both food and service, and he was so thrilled by everything (as was I) that I really felt both were worth mentioning. Thanks again to Galileo for an exceptional night!

Subject: Chipotle isn't as good for you as you might have thought it is...

http://www.cspinet.org/new/200309301.html

Would some kind soul willing to forward said email PM me so I can give you my email address? 

DITTO PLZ- I'd love the email myself.

Thanks.

Just today a co-worker told me he went to Georgia Brown's this weekend and enjoyed it greatly...I recall reading recently that there has been a chef change, but haven't heard that anyone has gone there until today.

I saw this on the website... might be a good way to check out the new deal...

http://www.gbrowns.com/dir/events.aspx