anhdeluxe

Was there last Sunday with SO and a friend from Vegas. Food is alright but a little on the pricier side, and they skimp on the bread, even for dishes that beg for it - bone marrow, cheese, pate. 'Service has not found its stride' is an understatement. Slow, surly and slightly shocking -- no warning that the kitchen closed and we never got to order entrees - that was a first for me. We left hungry and upset. I *so* wanted to love this place, too.

The dinner courses I had last night were the seafood gratin, the tuna tataki, the salmon, the cod, the loupe de mer, the duck, the pork tenderloin and the apple mousse. Yes I got an extra course. With the amuse, coffee, and petit fours, it came out to just a bit too much food but all the food was well prepared. The loupe de mer was my least favorite - the branzino was too fishy and seemed a little less than absolutely fresh. I adored the lentils it came with though. My salmon was inconisistently cooked, one piece was overdone but the other bit was perfect just a touch rare in the middle. I quite enjoyed it - a bit more than the gratin, which was a little too rich to start off with. The tuna was precious, I could have eaten another four plates of it. I loved the lardons and potatos with the cod, and my pork tenderloin was fantastic but my favorite was the duck! Four slices of breast on a little rectangular cube of confit with carved apple. Where did they get honeycrisp apples in this season? but they were delicate and tasty. My dining companions were also in raptures over the foie gras special, the butter-poached lobster pasta, the boudin blanc and escargot. Next time, we'll do wines by the glass. We had three bottles of wine and it would have been nice to have more variety. I am sorry to have missed out on the little takeaway baggies of macarons that had me drooling as soon as I saw them when we arrived at the host station in the front door, but we did close down the place. One word of warning, the rabbit encroute will fill you up to the point of not being able to really enjoy your following courses if you are going for seven. Flavorwise, it's a fine example of bunny pot pie. (Tastes like chicken) and the Granny Smith sorbet on my dessert course was perfection!.

I picked up 14 monster Dungeness crabs for a crab feed last week. They were huge, heavy, feisty and, at 7.99/lb. set me back more than 200 bucks but I'd do it again in a heart beat. One word of advice, don't be afraid to ask the guy to fish around and look for crabs that have all their claws. Understandably, some legs get snapped off in transit, but the claws are my favorite meat on a Dungeness. That said, the few that I picked up missing a leg were just as tasty as the others. He packed them in open plastic bags, set a closed bag of ice on them to keep them calm, and put the whole lot of them in a plastic lined cardboard box. I can't wait to go back for some more!

Potato leek soup. It's a dreary-grey day and soup is hitting the spot. Plus I get to use my immersion blender!

Ah, my beloved hometown! I get back twice a year if I'm lucky. An old roommate is an occasional food critic for the alt-weekly out there and always has a great new place to take me to, in addition to the many many many old favorites. Recent hits were: Beaker and Flask - an amazing mixologists' bar that also serves great food Laurelhurst Market - a carnivore's dream: a first-rate restaurant that also sells their own butchered meats and charcuterie Pok Pok - I love the standbys as well as the grilled quails Bunk Sandwiches - nothing bad on the menu The fish at Bamboo Sushi is guilt-free sustainable and the chefs seem to treat their ingredients with a respect not often found in this area.

This place made my German husband cry tears of joy. We tried this place out for a friend's birthday and I'm having trouble getting him to go anywhere else. Most of the beers have fresh taps, and the ambiance is pretty swell, but the neighborhood can be a little sketchy. If you are looking for the Bavarian beer experience, this is as close as you're going to get. If you want good Belgian (and slightly better food), stagger down the street to Granville Moore's.

Lemon Cranberry cookies were fantastic and buttery. I thought my iced coffee was quickly and expertly prepared. The day I went, there was some kind of art fair going on and so there was a bit of a gallery/festival vibe. Service seemed professional, friendly, and not snobby like I have encountered oftentimes at Murky Coffee in the past.

If it's as awful as I remember, it tasted like it was made with too few instant chicken-flavored boullion cubes. The broth was watery with a bad chemical aftertaste, and the matzo ball was undercooked. ugh. Not a good experience.

I've been twice and it felt like I was cheating on my husband with his brother. (I live two blocks from Rustico and Buzz). As with all illicit rendezvous, it seemed more exciting and decadent than my favorite old hangout. The first time was for brunch and we sat outside in the lovely courtyard. I had the hanger steak and eggs and both were cooked to my request. Service was a little off; I never got the steak sauce I requested, nor was the coffee refilled and I was never asked if I wanted another cup. My partner had the eggs benedict which was fine, nothing spectacular but not bad. The standout item was the homefries that came with my steak. Every single piece was extra crispy, gbd, and searing hot. Yes! After suffering through how many plates of horrible, mushy, anemic homefries in my life, to get a expertly done, crusty, seared excellent plate of homefries was an absolute pleasure. This talent for frying was also evident for dinner the next time we ate here. My guest ordered the fries and we were strongly tempted by the reuben eggrolls too, but resisted. The fries came out a rich, crispy, deeply browned mess, a tangle of greatness in the little paper cone. The assorted dipping sauces were all so good it was hard to find a favorite, though the smoky mayo and house-made red-pepper pimento cheese were in the lead. We had the mussels with arugula, ovendried tomato, parm, and bacon to start. It was sublime, and soaked the bread (which seemed partially saturated with melted butter already for good measure) down to the last drop of liquor in the pot. Her grilled steak and waldorf salad was really good, and huge. The best version of a waldorf I've had. (Fresh walnuts, ripe apples...good job) My diver's scallops that came so highly recommended were tiny and unevenly cooked. I got four itty bitty pieces that look like the chef split two medium-sized scallops in half. Although they tasted fine, i don't think that this starter-sized portion was worth the entree price. My partner had the opposite problem. His prime rib special was way way more than the 10 oz version he requested. It was perfectly rosy and delicious so no complaints. The service this time was much better. Again, sitting outside was lovely. The odd light-"pods" they bring out as it gets dark are a little unwieldy...most of our fellow patrons just stuck them on the ground next to their feet, and we also tucked our light pod out of the way. Overall, I can't wait to go back, maybe for lunch, another brunch, or any meal, really. Then I'll try the reuben eggrolls.

I've been three times and always loved it but this last time on Tuesday was less impressive. First impressions were built on PEI mussels in fantastic broth. The housemade bread (and pastas and sauces) were essential with this. The veal and veggie ravioli is very rich but delicious - the mushrooms really come through. The fish of the day is always a good bet. I've had halibut and tuna steaks and they were really great. I loved the lamb- perfectly rosy and so pretty. The scallops were also expertly cooked - not rubbery! The salads and desserts are also fine. I ordered the shrimp dish this last time and while my four huge shrimps were perfectly cooked, it came in this tomato-caper sauce that was a little thin and brothy and I wasn't sure if it was a soup or not (I wasn't given a spoon with the dish) and it just felt like something was missing. The lovely outdoor space is wonderful though. Service was very good.

I just went for supper tonight and hurt myself eating there! I'm not the only person in the world who ordered the 'Autumn Veil' crispy fried spring rolls, wrpped them in lettuce, took a bite, and promptly grated the roof of my mouth into hamburger, am I? Aside from my Canh Chua being far more spicy than sour, the rest of my meal was fine -- the ingredients were all really fresh and the flavors were there. It's just that my mouth is still sore. I'll go back but I know what I *won't* be ordering again...

Really? then let me pile on: the skin is the best! It's thin and crispy and really not that greasy. You have your choice of S&P and hot sauce (I don't get the hot sauce, just S&P) and either a breast or drumstick/thigh piece. If you order it in a sandwich, you get it served (bone and all) between two slices of squishy white bread which does a nice job of blotting up any extra oil. The meat is so juicy and flavorful, I know they must soak it something beforehand. Whenever I drive past the Blue and White, I actually roll my windows down because the smell wafting out from that place is so good. I love their addition of little sweet potato tarts. Sized small so you don't have to share. the only misgiving is that it can be a little inconsistent. 8 out of ten times the chicken is amazing but sometimes I get a bum piece. The quality is still good, it's just not the best chicken you've ever put in your mouth. Mostly though, the chicken is awesome. Now I want some!

I'm still going with Blue & White Carryout on the corner of Wythe and Rte. 1 in Alexandria. They close at 3:30 in the afternoon but if you can get there before then during the week, you will be richly rewarded for a pittance.

Their matzo ball soup is simply awful. Stick with the sandwiches.

They are my favorite too! So much better (and cheaper) than Joe's Shanghai. Although, I think their name is NEW Yeah Shanghai Deluxe. And then I love going next door for Chinatown Ice Cream Factory!

Don't go to Bumblefish in Old Town. It's too new and they don't know what they are doing. Their shumai is anemic, their salad rolls are so loose, they collapse when you bite into them, and their buuble tea is so bad it gave me a stomachache.