oliveDC
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Everything posted by oliveDC
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My first visit a few weeks back had me proclaiming I'd found my new neighborhood go-to spot. We had the delightfully salty duck prosciutto and a lightly dressed salad with toasted pine nuts and crostini topped with a creamy cheese mousse; a mushroom ravioli in a simple butter and sage sauce, pillowy spinach gnocchi with ricotta with a summery tomato coulis, and fresh linguine paired with plump shrimp and cherry tomatoes. Then a cheese plate with a creamy taleggio, a stinky gorgonzola and a nutty fontina followed, along with an excellent limoncello panna cotta and a crème caramel topped with an amaretto cookie crust. Then...we went back and checked out the entrees. The ribeye, the salmon and the white fish with zucchini. (Can't remember what the waiter said the fish was...) It was all very tasty, but most came with sauteed greens (spinach I assume) that were drenched in butter. At first I thought this was a good thing. By the time we finished, and for several hours after that, I felt like I'd eaten four sticks of butter...probably because I had. I'll probably stick to the grazing strategy next time, with a cheese and meat plate and a few pastas... -
The mushroom ravioli at Al Crostino on U Street is mighty tasty. The pasta is fresh and served in a simple butter and sage sauce. It's hearty and woodsy, and I could've sworn there was sausage in it (maybe the sage had me going?).
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I think they make their own Old Bay-like spice blend. Wonder how you'd mix a batch of that up...
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Little Fountain Cafe has half-price wines on Wednesdays - you usually need a reservation. Haven't been in a while but the place is just so darn cute, I recommend you go if you've never been.
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Cafe Atlantico serves scallops over crispy coconut rice. It's been a while since I've had it but I remember the rice being pretty good and the scallops fairly plump.
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My dining companion had a lobster roll-ish sandwich at Corduroy during lunch last week. I think it was listed on the menu as lobster salad, and would fall into your second category. The bun was round, and the speed with which my friend polished it off suggests it was tasty.
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I apologize for the shameless self-promotion, but I've posted about Tabaq here with a few pics. There is indeed a retractable roof, and the view is amazing. I didn't know about the Wazuri chef -- sounds very promising.
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Pastas were hovering around $15, a little less than the Opera entrees. Desserts were the same as before. Kuna's prices had been on a steady creep it seemed, even before Opera. I remember reading an old review of Tom's that praised them for the wine menu with no bottles over $26. It had been a while since there had been any bottles under that price!
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I have a take-out only policy now after having horrid service time after time at Coppi's. I love the food but there were so many times we were seated and ignored, left to choke down our food with no offer of wine or water refills and generally put out by absentee service, even when the place was empty. It's been more than a year since we've dined in...maybe I'll give it another shot.
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Well, you certainly didn't need a reservation since the place was regularly empty. Every time we went to Opera, the menu got closer and closer to Kuna's. By our last visit, the top of the menu read Opera AKA Kuna...and all the pastas were back. Who knows, the whole thing could've been about money, but it seems strange they couldn't have given it a few more months if they were trying to increase profits. Whatever the reason, I'm eager to give Al Crostino a try, even though that yellow paint is a little harsh. I loved the dark, coziness of Kuna. Hey, maybe Mark will go to Urbana!
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I like the idea of a mint simple syrup. The leaves don't bother me too much, but after having a party and lazily leaving all the mojito glasses out overnight ... man, that mint turns a nasty brown and makes clean-up that much more fun.
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We were loyal Kuna fans if for no better reason than they were so darn nice and it's around the corner. We kept returning through Opera's menu identity crisis and towards the end, it was pretty much back to the Kuna menu. But maybe the change turned enough people off that it tipped the balance to close the place. It was pretty empty whenever we went during the week. Makes me sad. But I'll be eager to check out the new joint. It's supposed to open next week. (An edit to Tom's item: That's no "soft" yellow on the walls...stoplight yellow is more like it.) Anyone know where Mark Giuricich of Kuna will go?
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I treat my red Kitchen Aid birthday-gift mixer like a harley -- I polish 'er up real good after each use so she shines like new. All my beau wanted last birthday was a giant cutting board. I went with the biggest Boos block I could find. It serves us well. I hate tiny cutting boards.
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I just heard that they are in the process of looking for a new chef...
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Yikes, this seems like very bad news. I had a few really good meals there and I was smitten with the desserts, especially the banana bread pudding. They made such a big deal that they got this chef with Aquavit training, there must have been a major falling out. ... Oh well.
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Oldest Restaurants in the Washington, DC Area
oliveDC replied to DonRocks's topic in Washington DC Restaurants and Dining
Great list! The Tune Inn was first known as that in 1947, according to the Nardelli family. Joe Nardelli took it over in 1955... -
Had a burger and truffled fries, both of which were great, at Poste a few months back, but that was followed by a lackluster brunch with a very uncomfortable server who forgot several things and kept spilling the coffee refills.
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Grill from Ipanema makes tasty caipirinhas, and you can usually find Pitu cachaca at "fancy pants" liquor stores (like the one next to the p st. whole foods).
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For extra scurvy fighting properties, try the beet mojito at Cafe Atlantico.
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I had a flaming banana dessert at Bangkok Bistro in Georgetown one night a while back. The rest of the meal was unmemorable though. If they still serve it, it wouldn't be a bad walk from a dinner at say Mendocino Grille or Pizzeria Paradiso.
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Couldn't you just as easily throw a tumbler at someone inside a restaurant? Speaking of rooftops, anyone been to Straits of Malaya this patio season? I had a few good meals there in the fall up on the roof, but noticed it looks a little lonely lately. I remember liking the five spice rolls and poh pia.
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I thought Corinna Lothar did the Times' reviews. I don't read them much, but she's very nice, for what it's worth.
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Oh my. I had the pleasure on Thursday of tucking into the succulent pig and just saw Nadya's description... spot on. It's sort of a wintery dish — pork, polenta, bacon, apples, brussel sprouts — but just as appetizing regardless of the temperature outdoors. I love roasted brussel sprouts and these were small, tender and nicely browned on the outside. Even better, they had absorbed the bacon flavor. The pig, as Nadya said, literally fell off the bone with the slightest fork pressure. I was tempted to suck on the bone when all was said and done and I had scrapped the plate clean. The orecchiette with lamb sausage and rapini was also fabulous, with a nice amount of heat (from the sausage?). Overall, a memorable meal.
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I saw Sen. Dick Durbin at Montmartre recently -- good to know some of the power types also like the smaller, quality neighborhood joints. (Laura Bush allegedly checked out Sonoma with some ladies a few weeks ago, too.)
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I'd love to know what happened (or didn't) to Obelisk. When I moved to DC about 5 years ago, it was constantly mentioned by Tom S. and seemed to have a great rep. I always meant to try it but never did, and then I feel like it sort of dropped off the face of the earth. I remember someone bringing this up in a Post chat a while back and Tom mentioned something vague about a bad experience. It's Peter Pastan's restaurant, right?