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Nick Freshman

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  1. Nick Freshman
    Come to Eventide. We can adapt on the fly to just about every allergy, but with a little warning, we can do anything. Just ask the lady from this story on NYE: ARLnow. We try to accommodate and SK as well; just let us know.
  2. Nick Freshman
    Has anyone tried this? Like many that grew up here, I have a soft spot in my heart for anything with Old Bay, but beer? It's pretty good as it turns out. Not great, but a fine beer from a brewery that is making some good stuff, I think. It's 5.6% ABV, so not too big, but some kick for a summer beer that is not an IPA. It's basically a light ale brewed with some wheat, with a low IBU (25), but some nice hop flavor. I didn't get the Old Bay at all until the end where it popped up on the finish and lingered a bit. Not overpowering at all; pleasant. I don't think I'd go for more than one or two, but I really don't ever go for beers that have 'outside' flavors added--fruit, spice, etc. Like all FD stuff, the labeling is awesome. There is an additional component as well that I think is contributing to the fact that is selling like crazy here at SK. They are donating proceeds to True Blue, a Bay advocacy program. There's been discussion about this org elsewhere on the board, and I know nothing about it, so I won't dare speak to its merits. I just know that people specifically tell me that is a selling point for the beer. I've had people coming in asking for this beer far more than any other limited release product we have ever had. Uncanny, really. The name, by the way, comes from a deadrise boat which is the name of the boats you see everywhere on the Bay (well, less these days). And, like all FD stuff, they have as much a way with names as they do with labels. I mean, Raging Bitch??? Instantly iconic. Next month they are doing a Blood Orange IPA that my Bar Manager tasted and really liked. I think the bitterness of a Blood Orange could go great with some citrusy hops. I am already wanting to smell the beer. I expect to carry it when it comes in.
  3. Nick Freshman
    It's good. Very sentimental and feel good, so if you're jaded, skip it. However, they get the business right--the language, the lifestyle, the gear. It's authentic in my opinion. He drinks out of the right kind of cup, etc. Pretty stellar cast as well--Dustin Hoffman as the restaurant owner was great.
  4. Nick Freshman
    True. We scrapped the buffet for an a la carte menu, and we are adding Saturday which we haven't done in the past. Starts tomorrow at 10AM though we test ran it last Sunday to some success. There were a couple reasons, but you're right in that the big one was that the business wasn't there. A lot of food was just sitting there. The a la carte give us a chance to offer some unique dishes more suited to our, ahem, personality: signature items are 'The Walk of Shame' and the 'Yoga Pants Omelette.' Egg whites and spinach for the latter. Plus, we will offer, as always, the full menu from open to close, so you can have wings with your omelette if you like. We are keeping the Bloody Mary, but also adding a few brunch cocktails largely based on bartender creations for our regulars every weekend. We took some liberty with the names for those as well. See for yourself here.
  5. Nick Freshman
    Common Grounds, I'm pretty sure.
  6. Nick Freshman
    Umm, Hell yes. Anyone remember the "Rally in the Alley?" I remember little of them, but I am pretty sure I had a good time. Ahhh, the Herpes Triangle; that's what we all called 'Midtown.' There were no lounges or cafes; just bars. Plenty of bars.
  7. Nick Freshman
    Mr. Days used to be Blue and Gold. It closed shortly after I started at the Clarendon Grill in 1998. Mr. Days opened up in 98 or 99. Mad Rose was The Endependence Center; a store for the disabled, I believe.
  8. Nick Freshman
    Eventide is looking for an Exec Chef; immediate opening. We are an independent restaurant, decidedly not corporate and we offer one of the best schedules for Chefs in the business. We are closed on Mondays and not open for lunch. We have a great FOH team that you will work with. They are ready for a great partner in the kitchen. We're looking for someone to take over two kitchens, two menus and be able to create menus that reflect local and national culinary trends. You will be the source of ideas, and you will be responsible for execution. You will have a great deal of autonomy as well as a great deal of responsibility and accountability. It will be your kitchen. Ideally, you have a few years experience as an Exec Chef at somewhere we have heard of and somewhere kind of like us. You have at least been a Chef de Cuisine or an Exec Sous. You are driven and you are not dramatic. You are focused you are not excitable. You can manage and motivate a team, work within a budget and your cost controls are excellent. You don't go out every night after work and drag yourself back in to work the next day reeking of Fireball and bad decisions. Please look somewhere else if that is your life. We will find out; we always do. We are ready to invest in someone who can move our restaurant forward. If you think you are that person, and you are ready to move yourself forward, PM me or send an e-mail to nickfreshman@gmail.com with a specific cover letter telling me why you are interested and your resume. We'll start with a short interview and go from there. READ THIS: If you call the restaurant about this job, you'll be immediately disqualified. If you visit the restaurant about this job, you'll be immediately disqualified. If you respond to me without a cover letter, or with a form cover letter (e.g. "Dear Hiring Manager"), you'll be immediately disqualified. If you somehow have my cell phone, and you call or text me about this job, you'll be immediately disqualified. And I will kill you.
  9. Nick Freshman
    Indeed, but paper towels are such an all around bad idea that I think Dean's move makes sense. In addition to the cost and the waste, there is the very real problem of plumbing. At SK when we opened, we had paper towels, and the first summer, our sewer system backed up every week--every week! Thankfully, it was contained in the basement away from anywhere that could be contaminated. It still meant a plumber and anxiety. Turns out customers, female customers especially, really like putting paper towels in the toilet and flushing. They are built to absorb water, they pile up, and boom. This summer for Eventide, we will probably make the switch as well. More green, less heart attacks for management. It is a lot cheaper to move to the dryers than to widen your main line, and my guess is that the lines in Dean's new place are old; which means small.
  10. Nick Freshman
    Good looking out, Josh. It ain't easy being in business in Arlington. The demographics make it all so appealing, but the reality is that it's hard to argue with those who claim that the climate is 'unwelcoming.' We've gotten used to the taxes on top of the taxes, and we don't cry about it because we have been successful. This one, however, is just so absurd. Even if the County's defense is that it is a correction--in other words, the property has been undervalued up to this point--how does that help? It reveals the incompetence in the process in not accurately valuing the properties year to year, and it shows no willingness to be reasonable by not offering to make the correction over several years. To be clear, we made exactly no notable improvements to the property last year--we didn't even paint. And then, boom, 83%. I also think what is worth noting is the properties that did not go up. Darling of the neighborhood, Whole Foods, for example. A ZERO increase. ZERO! Been there lately? They've done at least $500K in work. And what are they valued at? $2.5 million. Does anyone here think that the building that houses Spider Kelly's is worth TWICE what the Whole Foods is worth (Our building just rang in at $5M)? A building that takes up an entire block and has PARKING? Give me a break. Don, to your question, residential property values went up an average of 5%, I think. And to you, ktmoomau, business to kill? No, I would say business to extort? So, the County boasts no increase in real estate tax rates, homes go up nominally in comparison, and yet there is another budget shortfall to pay for the now fatiguing glory projects. What is the solution? It's hard to tamp down the conspiracy theorists. I am not one, and refuse to believe that there is an out and out effort to gouge us to pay for pet projects--this isn't House of Cards. So what is the other conclusion? Incompetence, laziness, myopia? I really don't know, but it is discouraging. I have lived here my entire life, I own a house here, and my daughter is in public school here. My mom lives in my neighborhood and has been a volunteer for the County government for over 30 years. I am in this County for the long haul. I am also a Democrat who has never voted Republican and a small businessman who believes ardently in regulation, oversight and yes, taxes. And I am over defending the actions of the County Board to my numerous friends in business on the other end of the spectrum. I'm embarassed to be a 'D' in Arlington lately. We can do so much better. But, really, that is irrelevant. As a business owner, I feel I am being unfairly attacked, and we small business owners are cagey by nature. We will be fighting this. We're pragmatic too, so we know that we're probably fucked. Sigh.
  11. Nick Freshman
    On tap at SK right now. One of my favorite times of the year. Plus, we have the Lagunitas Sucks on as well. Makes for a nice side by side. Hopslam's keg price is about 60% more than Two Hearted or 60 Minute. We charge up, but not that much. Honestly, I like the Hopslam a lot, but it's hard to believe it's worth the price especially if you're paying off premise retail. Beer for beer and dollar for dollar, I still think the the regular lagunitas IPA and the Sumpin Sumpin are my definition of great beer. With Sumpin Sumpin even edging ahead; particularly with warm weather coming.
  12. Nick Freshman
    On tap now at Spider Kelly's. Tried it from a bottle yesterday, and it is very good. I am an avowed hophead, but I am happy to see the trend on double/triple/Imperial IPAs waning in favor of balance. This one teeters on the edge of too much, but is still a great beer. We've always had the regular IPA on tap, and whenever another one comes through, it is the benchmark. A side by side comparison would be interesting as I have always loved the wonderful citrus notes of the Lagunitas IPA. That's a great quality of Sucks as well, but at nearly 8%, my palate is toast after two of them.
  13. Nick Freshman
    20% off your check at Spider Kelly's and up to two hours free pool or shuffleboard with government ID. Side note: last night half the takers were 'essential' employees still getting paid. Half of those were military. That's not really the spirit of it but fuck it.
  14. Nick Freshman
    We've had most of our Fall beers in for a couple weeks. Due to allocations, we have to order them when they are available. That includes 35 kegs of Dogfish Head Punkin Ale. Yes, 35. Not my favorite, but it's good and sells like crazy. For a point of reference, I heard the Dogfish Head Ale House only got 12. I want to make it past Halloween, and I won't unless I get that much. That said, it doesn't go online until tomorrow. We just can't put Fall beers out until after Labor Day; it's too weird. Despite having had customers asking for Sam Oktoberfest for weeks now...
  15. Nick Freshman
    It's all new. Every year it gets earlier and earlier. We resist it, but it's futile when customers start asking for it. Last year the Sam Adams rep, all of about 24 years old, told me Oktoberfest was out so early because the brewery 'spilled' a huge batch of Summer Ale. I felt bad that they made her say that, but it didn't stop me from asking her if she had the pictures of what must have been such a catastrophic loss...
  16. Nick Freshman
    No, not on tap at Spider Kelly's. IPAs always do really well, but that is about as far as the crowd goes as far as alternate styles of beer.
  17. Nick Freshman
    I had two beers recently that better fit the notion of a deeply flavorful, hoppy beer that is sessionable. Bell's Smitten Rye which was a hoppy Ale with (obviously) rye, but with plenty of pale malt and I think even some wheat to balance it out. It had a light color and a wonderful smoothness to it. Easy to drink plenty of them, but still bursting with some delicious hopness and the great spicyness you get from rye (to me, the Rye IPA is the best thing to happen to IPAs). The other--which I still have on tap at my house--is New Holland's White Hatter BPA. Generally, BPAs have done nothing for me. To much biscuity, yeasty flavor from the Belgian side that washes out whatever hop character is there. This one is not so. Bright yellow color with a thick, creamy head. Great floral aromas, crisp hop backbone, but with a delicate creaminess from the "B" part of the BPA. They're both seasonal, so they may already be gone, but they were much better examples of seasonal IPAs than any seasonal IPAs I have actually had.
  18. Nick Freshman
    That's exactly right. They are policies that match the law with regard to what passes as proof of ID, but the law does not in fact require ID to drink. If someone in the bar looks under 21, the burden is on the ABC to prove that they are not in fact of legal drinking age. We make exceptions at the door all the time knowing that the law will back us up, but we prefer to make the occasional exception as opposes to loosening the policies. The risk for us is so high that it makes more sense to treat the law as if the burden is on the customer unfortunately. Here's a scenario that has happened a number of times: an ABC agent with a badge, a bulletproof vest and a gun will walk up to a customer at the bar and demand proof of identification. This is done without any prior warning to us, and the customers are quite often completely freaked out regardless of their age. The customer has already been ID'd and stamped by us and is minding their own business. It's harassment. To try to prevent that and to try to create a presumption that we are law abiding as a business instead of law breaking, we card hard at the door. We have lost a lot of business because of it, but we also have remained clear of any underage violations.
  19. Nick Freshman
    That's a big difference between Virginia and DC. It's way worse in VA: only US government IDs are OK, and even those are limited (military ID? YES, green card? NO). The only exception is a foreign passport WITH a visa. The visa, of course, being something you're not even supposed to carry around lest it be lost. It's such a ridiculous standard to uphold that we often feel like fools at the front door. Not being able to accept a Canadian driver's license or an Israeli passport is laughable. If the person is way over 21, fine, we let them in, but if they are close we hold to the law. As a consequence, we have been accused of being xenophobic. Of all the things I have been called as a bar owner, that is the most surreal one. I have honestly felt ashamed as an American. I mean, we have enough troubles with our image abroad. I think it is a great example of the outcome of laws being written in Richmond for businesses in Northern Virginia. How many Turkish passports do you think they see down there? I had two attaches from the Turkish military who are working at the Pentagon come in last week. I mean, they work at the fucking Pentagon and I am supposed to make them give me "valid" ID? It's also another example (another being state run ABC stores with no wholesale pricing) of the competitive disadvantage we have to overcome on this side of the river.
  20. Nick Freshman
    I don't know about the pizzaiolo changes, but I think this place is great. Elegantly simple. I've made a couple stops here post-museums with kids. Highlight for me was a soup (though the pizza is very good). Big bowl of chorizo, tomato and pepper all pureed and a huge piece of pizza dough to go with it. Good beer selection as well in bottles, and they just added a tap. The tap I regret to report is Yuengling. Oh well. It's nice to load up on pizza and then stop next door to Peregrine for a coffee. Takes the edge off of fighting the tourists at the Smithsonian.
  21. Nick Freshman
    I can't believe I just wrote 'Pad Thai at Nam Viet.' In this thread of all threads. The irony is too thick. I meant to write Thai Square. Jeez. There goes what little credibility I might have had...
  22. Nick Freshman
    That was my first reaction. I felt a collective eye rolling from minorities who have endured racism their entire life--like, from cops. But then again, what would I know about that? I'm the picture in the dictionary next to "white male." I've been going to Ravi for 10 years, and I always have found the service brusque but efficient. I always feel like I am on the outside looking in, but that's because I am not Pakistani or friends with anyone who works there. That doesn't make me feel uncomfortable or that I am being treated poorly, but maybe I am genuinely clueless. It would never occur to me that they are racist towards me, it just occured to me that they were dicks and were sometimes more interested in serving people they knew. Is that the same thing? Given my day to day existence as a white male in Arlington I honestly am not sure if I would recognize if I was being discriminated against, but the bigger question is, would I give a shit? Despite what the far right wants me to believe, I don't think I've got it rough in the least. My experience working with underpriveleged and minority youth as well as general life experience only confirms that. I have it good, so who cares if some guy wants to mumble something in Urdu under his breath and make me wait a couple minutes for my order? I'm not sure it's worth caring about. The problems of racism in this country seem so much bigger to me--like the systemic problems in our criminal justice and education systems--that this seems trivial. Am I missing the point? Maybe. Again, I don't doubt I have a degree of ignorance on this topic. Aside from very direct and brutal racism on the basketball court, I don't think I have ever been seriously discriminated against. And even then I felt like, fuck it, I have it good, and I can play, so it doesn't really matter. If I was discriminated against, I just took it as someone being an asshole. Their beliefs about me and my race were irrelevant. I don't plan to stop going to Ravi, at least not based on this thread. Am I supposed to? And then should I be wondering what's taking so long with my Pad Thai at Nam Viet, or my Pupusas at El Charrito? Seriously?
  23. Nick Freshman
    Seth at Northside told me a story about the Nespresso crew coming in to sell them on how they'd be a perfect partner for the brand. I got to hand it to the sales guys--fearless. Ice to eskimos or something like that. To the point above, coffee is indeed such a small part of the revenue of the restaurant, and to do it right commands a disproportionate amount of resources (human and material). For exactly that reason, we opted against an espresso machine at Eventide--costly to buy and maintain, and we would probably produce sub-par coffees given the amount of expertise required. Seemed a losing proposition. We went instead with press pots--nearly impossible to screw up, ubreakable steel pots and good coffee. Better than a pod, at least. We recently switched to Ceremony roasters and have been happy with the product.
  24. Nick Freshman
    No shit. Stopped in once for coffee and a quiche; both were good. That was months ago right afte they opened. I don't envy them that location.
  25. Nick Freshman
    I wanted to let you all know that we are saying goodbye to Adam Barnett, our current chef. He is heading into the city to take a job with the Kimpton Hotel Group at Poste. It's a good move for him, and we wish him the best of luck. I also hope you'll welcome our new chef, Johnnie Thomas. Johnnie has been a sous here for a couple years. Previously, he was at The Inn at Little Washington, Eve and most recently, Cityzen. We're excited to give him the opportunity, and you will see some of his stuff right away while he moves towards a menu overhaul for all floors in early April. Also, if you haven't been by yet, come check out our Sunday Brunch. It's buffet style, and it has been going great. We make a few varieties of donuts every week, and we recently took home 2nd place at the first ever "Donut Fest" downtown where we went up against a bunch of other restaurants and specialty donut shops.
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