hungry prof
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Everything posted by hungry prof
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No ramroding at all. I think we're (or at least I am) looking for precisely that type of guidance. And I agree that affordable is key. The more participating, the more we'll all learn. Anybody with ideas on a complementary wine? I'd be willing to serve as some sort of informal convener of this thing if we need somebody in that role. I'd open a thread on some agreed to date for people to chime in on the wines. Maybe play bad cop if the discussion runs too far afield? (Not trying to assert myself; just volunteering if we think we need somebody to play that role.)
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I'm quite grateful for all the very helpful replies to my original post, and I'd certainly be interested in participating. (And I'll see if I can throw in some of that Burgundy I mentioned above when we get to that lesson. . .) Don or Mark (or anybody else), any suggestions on what should be covered in our first "class?"
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What kind of sauce do they serve with that?
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Food issues aside, Redwood is a beautiful space. Since TC brings its own cooks to any location, appearances probably rank pretty high for them.
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Bravo has released the list of contestants for Top Chef: DC. Debuts Wednesday, June 16 at 9pm. Looks like there is one DC-based contestant: Tamesha Warren, Sous Chef at The Oval Room. Also looks like Eric Ripert is now a regular judge.
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Thanks, Don and Mark, but you seem to have something of a disagreement here. I like Don's suggested goal of navigating a wine list with confidence, so how would one start to acquire that skill? And Don: if today's world of wine is "90% garbage" (making tasting an impractical strategy) and if "cultivating a relationship with a retailer. . .is not the best way to acquire knowledge," then how does one go about it?
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I can't seem to find a topic on this, so here goes: any of our wine connoisseurs (or even sommeliers) have any advice on how to learn about wine. In my own case, I married well (in any number of ways, including wine): my father-in-law is very into burgundy, keeping us well stocked with the burgundy he collects throughout the year and on his annual visits to Burgundy. But with considerable embarrassment, I'll admit to knowing little about what I'm drinking other than that it costs more than I'd normally spend of my own money on wine. I've asked my father-in-law to teach me, but well, he's my father-in-law so he tends to grunt and toss me a couple of books. I've tried to make sense of those books, but they seem to do little more than point out who the various producers are and how many acres of grapes they have. So, how can I become a better wine consumer? I know the answer is probably to just taste, taste, and taste some more. But what am I tasting for? I can tell good wine (burgundy at home) from bad wine (crapola at work), but I feel like there must be more to it than that. To be clear, I'm not just talking about burgundy, but rather in general, any advice on how to get started in understanding wine better? I've heard mixed things about various classes around town. Perhaps we could have a virtual class at dr? Any advice and thoughts would be appreciated.
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This past time I was downstairs. I've been upstairs before, and I honestly never felt much difference in terms of level of formality.
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I was at Lepic maybe three weeks ago. If I recall correctly, I had a poached lobster appetizer served over some spring greens and a duck breast entree. Both were quite good, though nothing to write home about (or post on dr.com about). I've been a bunch in the past few years as it's a popular go-to for work related dinners. I'd describe it as a very professional restaurant. It is consistent and consistently good, though rarely great. Nothing has ever blown me away, but I am always happy to go back. Service is usually affable, although our server this past time around was a bit flighty. As for seating, I'd call it cozy. Not quite on top of each other, but not exactly spacious either.
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You're also changing the context. It's not simply a matter of "overhearing." It's a matter of a diner apparently speaking at an unnecessarily loud level.
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Yes. If I had my kids out at a restaurant and somebody at the table next to us was swearing loudly and profusely, would it be inappropriate for me to say something? As for your second point, the implication of the diner's post to Sietsema is that this diner's volume was unnecessary in whatever restaurant it was. Neither you nor I can judge whether that was the case given the available information.
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I don't see the problem here. Assuming he/she is reporting what he/she said accurately, the diner says (1) talk about what you want if you must, but (2) please keep it down. Mole hill becomes mountain.
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I take it back. After looking around a bit, I now have no doubt that this is a tourist trap. In fairness, I can only imagine the economics of running a restaurant out of that location. The rent must be astronomical, so your best bet becomes gimmicks that will draw in lots of families visiting DC that are willing to pay $8.95 for a "frozen hot chocolate" (yes, you read that right--that's what the price is on the menu on their website).
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Just finished a tasty take-out lunch from Morso Express. It still has that new restaurant smell and feel, but I am impressed for a place that has only been open three days. I had the pistachio lamb kebab platter. The lamb was in the form of a kofta, rather than chunks of lamb, and it was tender and well-spiced. It was served on top of a bulgur pilaf (normally, served with white rice, but I was told that they were serving the bulgur instead today). The bulgur was perhaps a bit oversalted, but that didn't stop me from eating all of it. With the platter, you also get a choice of two meze from a list of six. I chose the crushed potato salad and the babaganoush--both of which were quite good and refined. The platter was $12--a bit pricey, but I'm not hungry after having wiped my container clean. The same lamb kebab is available as a wrap ($8) with a choice of many toppings and sauces. The menu also includes a variety of other wraps, salads, flatbreads, and meze. The restaurant itself is small with a very modern decor and a communal table that probably seats six. All in all, it seems like Georgetown has gained a much-needed additional lunch option. I'll definitely return, and I look forward even more so to seeing what they do at the more formal Morso (sorry).
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Coming later this year. I've never been to the NYC location, but I sort of smell tourist trap.
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Just a quick follow-up to my previous post. Kavita Singh, owner of New Heights, sent me an extraordinarily gracious and generous note last evening. She apologized for the service we received, and invited us to be their guests for a complimentary dinner in the future. I also owe them a correction and an apology. Apparently, the restaurant was empty when we showed up because a number of parties showed up half-an-hour late for their 7:00 reservations, not because of a misconceived reservations strategy. The consequence was that an understaffed kitchen on that evening got slammed. Let that be a lesson about (1) making assumptions and (2) the consequences for all diners of showing up late for a reservation. In any case, I post this with some reluctance. My cynical side worries that people will see this as an opportunity to exploit a well-intentioned restaurant owner with complaints in the future, but my more optimistic side smiles at honest acts of goodwill like Kavita's response. New Heights has turned a frustrating experience and a frustrated customer into somebody who will both return himself and recommend it to friends in the future.
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Frustrating meal at New Heights last night. All of the food was quite good--nothing spectacular, but quite good. Each and every plate was finished. All of the appetizers--from the grilled mackerel to the scallop dumpling to the black trumpet mushroom soup--were prepared with evident skill and creativity. Three of our party had a duck entree that included a duck leg, a pheasant, chicken, and fois gras sausage, and a hunk of bacon. An excellent course, if a bit busy on the plate. For those of you looking for a great vegetarian dish, head to New Heights and try the agnelloti with wild mushrooms. At a table of committed carnivores, I think this was viewed as the standout dish of the night. And the donuts for dessert were a hit as was the ginger creme brulee. So, why was it frustrating? Glacial service. We had a standard three-course meal--appetizers, entrees, and dessert. There's no amuse bouche. We arrived at 7:30 and left just after 10:30. Over three hours. When we arrived just before 7:30, the restaurant was near empty. A half-hour later, it was full, and I just don't think the staff or the kitchen could handle it. (Since we could not get a 7:00 reservation, it's clear that this is a strategy of the restaurant. I'm not sure it's serving them well.) Our particular server had a frustrating tendency of promising to do something right away (open a bottle of wine, tell us the specials, etc.) and then disappearing for ten minutes before doing it. All in all, a good meal that would have been even better had the meal been paced better.
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New Turkish-influenced siblings coming to Georgetown. Apparently, Morso Express will open tomorrow followed by the more formal Morso in April. Chef Ed Witt's bio from his Facebook page sounds reasonably interesting: "With an emphasis on locally-sourced, farm-fresh ingredients and a modern approach to classic American fare, Witt (Varietal, Il Buco) and his style of cooking are a true representation of what the chef himself stands for: creative, out-of-the-box, and unfussy. . .Witt’s journey to Morso began at the Culinary Institute of America and led directly to San Francisco’s famed Rubicon, where he worked under Tracy Des Jardins. Witt’s Rubicon stint led to two additional years in San Francisco – first at Jardinière and later at mc². In 1998, Witt returned to New York City as part of the reopening team at Restaurant Daniel before earning himself a position as chef de cuisine at Nicole’s on the Upper East Side. In search of new adventures and greater challenges, Witt moved on to become the executive chef at Il Buco and later the short-lived, but highly-ambitious Varietal. After spending a month traveling and eating in Turkey, Ed looks forthcoming [sic] opening of Morso." H/t: Washington Business Journal via the Georgetown Voice.
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Favorable review (2.5 stars, though I think it reads closer to 3) from Sietsema. I'm surprised there hasn't been more buzz about this restaurant on here. Big name chef opens a long-awaited project in a central location with not totally outrageous prices, and there are only around a dozen posts in three months. Odd, don't you think?
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Dismiss it as you will (and I have no doubt you will), but here's Colicchio's explanation for the name: "As for the new restaurant's name, Chef Tom is also Papa Tom, to two boys, one just four months old. 'Now after my second kid, I’m looking more into the future.'" From an Examiner story about the name change.
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True TC geeks may be reminded by this post of Restaurant Wars during the Miami season. If you recall, one of the diners during that season's Restaurant Wars--unknown to the cheftestants--was a food blogger who provided input to the judges. Maybe TC will invite Rockwellians to be the diners for Restaurant Wars. . .
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Colicchio said in an interview I read somewhere recently that TC films an entire season in three weeks. (He said this in the context of being somewhat bemused by the fact that his entire identity for most people is attached to something that is a relatively small part of his calendar year--at least directly.)
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I recently had a very good business lunch at Kellari Taverna at 1700 K. Reasonably quiet, but I'm not sure if it's casual enough for you. I didn't think it was particularly formal.
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Unable to find any open restaurants to his satisfaction, Rocks goes shopping for groceries to get him through Snoverkill.
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I don't know. The produce section at the Glover Park Whole Foods no longer had a produce section at about 7:30 last night. . .unless you were interested in cucumbers. They had plenty of cucumbers.