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The Leaver

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  1. The Leaver
    Question for anyone who's been and remembers: Are the black olives canned? That is my quick rule of thumb for predicting whether or not a pizzeria has good food or not.
  2. The Leaver
    Mine definitely isn't Bassin's. They undoubtedly have a great selection, but what is with the staff? I have gone there four times in the last year and never once has anyone on the floor asked me if I needed assistance, or even smiled or nodded in my direction. On my last visit, I was there 2 Saturdays ago near to opening time, and one of only a couple customes in the store. The 4 or 5 employees stood gathered near the computer in the middle of the place talking only to one another, trying to impress each other with the wines they've tasted recently. After that, they went into an extended discussion of a pornographic movie clip they'd seen on the Internet, in full hearing range of anyone else on the sales floor. I suppose that a lot of the money comes from people phoning in orders, but every time I've been a customer in that place, I've felt like I was trespassing.
  3. The Leaver
    "Blaine?? Sounds like a major appliance" -Ducky
  4. The Leaver
    Interesting that Poste was where folks encountered the staff who ignored the sitters. I have witnessed this myself. I am at the bar over there with some frequency. The last time I was there, it seemed the staff behind the bar, who also seem to be responsible for waiting tables in the bar area, was making a conscious effort to ignore people who sat themselves down on the patio. Inevitibly, after waiting 10-15 minutes, people wandered back inside to ask about a server coming out to the patio, and then they would be informed that the section wasn't open. Not sure why this was going on and why the staff would only tell you there was no patio service after you sat and were ignored for a while. Why not just get a "this Section Closed" sign or something? This was surprising, as I have encountered some really great staff there. In particular, one woman who I once saw defuse a nuclear bomb of worked-up patron with kind words and glass of chardonnay.
  5. The Leaver
    The pricing looks similar to other wine lists run by people who have been successful on the business side. That is, if you go for the familiar grapes, you're going to get soaked. Ipso facto, you'll see Kendal Jackson Chardonnay for $9 a glass at Coastal Flats. Have to look to more obscure varietals for the deals.
  6. The Leaver
    That's interesting. I wonder if perhaps the editors added that at the end, thinking you can't suggest a range of white wines and not include Chardonnay. Just as people might watch Fox News or Now with Bill Moyers to to have their own preferences validated for them, perhaps the editor wants to have that in there to validate the many Chardonnay people. Is there a WP wine conspiracy?
  7. The Leaver
    I just love how the show very subtly weaves in the product placements. You hardly notice them at all.
  8. The Leaver
    To Old Europe in Glover Park for the Schnitzel Old Europe and a tankard or 2 of Paulaner. Then down the street to Bourbon for a small-batch dessert. Yum...
  9. The Leaver
    Schlenkerla Rauchbier. Smoke Beer from Bamberg, Germany. Made with beechwood-smoked barley. Like a delicious smoked babecue sandwich with every sip. Got mine from German Gourmet in Falls Church.
  10. The Leaver
    Sounds like some manager is paying attention to staff recruitment and training. I think they could use some help at the one at Federal Center SW Metro, however. I always only order "just coffee" and at least 1 time out of 3 my order slips through the cracks and I have to holler it back. The folks there are certainly nice enough, but there seems to be a bug in the order/delivery chain. Now, if it only had some competition besides the liquid barnacle remover served up in the adjacent government cafeterias...
  11. The Leaver
    ...or "pasture"
  12. The Leaver
    It's definitely a road trip, but I am partial to Blue Ridge Pig in Nellysford, VA. It is very close to the Wintergreen resort in Nelson County, about 30 mins south of Charlottesville. Maybe not as good as the best of Memphis or KC, but I really like the barbecue and the potato salad is almost as good as the 'cue. Definitely worth a stop if you're out that way.
  13. The Leaver
    Different place. Although I believe that the CVS/Sala Thai at the 10th St. and Washington Blvd location are also not long for this world. The land is too close to the Clarendon Metro to carry all that surface parking. I thought the Sala Thai was decent, but still miss the miniature golf course that occupied the location prior to CVS/Sala.
  14. The Leaver
    There are good arguments either way, but the bottom line for me would be that if I went to Robert DeNiro's restaurant, I'd be very happy to see Bobby D knocking one back at the bar with Joe Pesci and Martin Scorsese. Similarly, if I had ever gone to the Fashion Cafe , I'd have loved to see Linda Evangelista and Cindy Crawford there sipping mojitos. But at Citronelle, I'd be a lot happier seeing MR in the kitchen than sipping wine on the patio. Not saying he has no right to do what he wants, just my preference.
  15. The Leaver
    I have to confirm the Mom's Apple Pie Co. recommendations. I am acquaintences with one of the family members who own the business. Yes, they do grow their produce on their own farm near the river in Leesburg. Very nice family and great pies. The fruit pies get a great balance of sweet to tart. They were featured recently on the Food Network show with Paula Deen's sons. Can't say much about that TV show, but the pies are something special. And local is always a plus.
  16. The Leaver
    I put together what turned out to be a nice summer cocktail last weekend. I took a base recipe of cherry lemonade from epicurious dot com. It ended up as juice of 6 lemons (yielding about a cup of juice) and a quart of sweet red cherries, fresh from the farmers market. Threw a cup of lemon juice into the blender, then added a quart of cherries, stemmed but not pitted. Whirled around enough to shred cherries; some pits were split. Strained mixture, added a quarter cup of sugar. Portioned lemon-cherry mixture into glasses, filling glasses half way. Topped up glasses with vodka, blush Champagne, or seltzer, depending on the habits or ages of guests. Four batches of lemon-cherry mix yielded more than enough for an evening of drinks for 7 people. People really seemed to like it. Nice for a summer evening.
  17. The Leaver
    Looks close to ready. I walked by today and the brown paper is off the windows and tables and chairs are on the floor. Saw a number of contractors and guys with tape measures on their belts, however. Looks like opening may be down to days or weeks rather than months. Anxious to try it.
  18. The Leaver
    I'd be more than happy to see the Wedge of Iceberg lettuce salad go back to the long slumber it had between the 1940s and 2003. I realize it is irresistable to the cost-conscious restauranteur--cheap ingredients and minimal labor--and now near universal on menus. But enough already.
  19. The Leaver
    Yeah, it's nothing to look forward to, or plan an evening around, but as long as I don't have to pay...
  20. The Leaver
    Better get to the store. The new Wine Spectator has slapped a 90 score on Gini Soave Classico. This has been a go-to of mine for a while, and is on many of the Italian restaurant wine lists around town. The "magic" 90 for a wine under $20 will soon be on shelf talkers and bottles will soon be disappearing off shelves. Get it while you can...
  21. The Leaver
    Also consider Madeira, either the Malmsey or Bual varieties. Luscious caramel flavors, and it never oxidizes--can keep an opened bottle almost forever. In addition, of course Suternes. I find they pair amazingly well with creamy or cakey citrus desserts, like an orange or lemon cake with creamy frosting or lemon tart. Also consider the German Ausleses, Beerenausleses, Eisweins, and Trockenbeerenausleses. Very good stuff, and like other German wines, underconsumed in the US, possibly due to the unaproachability of the names and the German wine lebelling system. Also consider Demi-Sec (medium dry) and Doux (sweet) Champagne.
  22. The Leaver
    Yeah, I ate there once, figuring the burger is always the safe choice at a sportsbar. Unfortunately the first bite of my burger resulted in an explosion and eruption of burning hot grease, the likes of which I hadn't felt since I was in Alexander's army laying seige to the Persians and had boiling oil rained down upon me. (great falafel, though!). I ran as a madman through the endless sea of spiky hair and untucked pastel button-down shirts to the bathroom to run cold water on my hands and arms. Anyway, food does not seem to be McFadden's main attraction, but maybe others have had better luck.
  23. The Leaver
    To reiterate other replies, I think it totally depends on the bar. I think Poste handles it nicely. One bar is TV-less, but the bar adjacent the patio has one TV. In any case, I don't think it is a really big deal. Unless you position yourself as a sportsbar, it won't really make a difference if you have 1 or 2 TVs in my estimation. I've been hanging out in Clarendon bars for the last 12 years, and other than Mr Day's (do) and Iota (don't) I honestly couldn't tell you which ones do or don't have TVs--just doesn't register with me. I wouldn't sweat it. I'm curious as to what type of place you're opening up, though. I hope it it isn't another faux-Irish bar. not that there's anything wrong with that...
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