chefgunshow

Hi everybody. This is conversation Don and I had over the past couple of days that he suggested I put up in the Boundary Road thread. Great idea, Mr. Rockwell. We discuss some specifics about the restaurant, but I launch into a mission statement that I would like everybody out there to be aware of. Thanks.Brad DonRocks leviathan Admin 11,196 posts Sent Yesterday, 11:47 PM Philosophical question: do you make your own quark? If so, why? You use such trace amounts of it that it doesn't seem worth it. If not, what made you use quark? That's somewhat unusual, at least in a gastropub (which you kind of are). Nice flavor, especially the black pepper. And that California Session beer kicks ass if you like lemon. Your steak tartare is better than Le Diplomate's, btw. If it isn't hand-chopped, you're doing a pretty damned good job of disguising it. It was a little cold, so it's obviously not made to order, but as long as it's made that day, that's all I care about (and if it's not, don't tell me because I want to order it again, and I only order that stuff spanking fresh). dcdining.com - Restaurant Reviews - Facebook - Twitter <--- Follow meeeeeeeee! If you're a member here, please friend me personally on Facebook (send me a message with your screen name, please, so I know which member you are!) Reply chefgunshow clam Members 40 posts Sent Today, 02:11 PM Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate it. Here's the pierogi story: My wife's family are Polish / Lithuanian folks from mining country Pennsylvania. Pierogi are staples during holidays, and the first I ever had were my mother in law's. Her's have a thicker dough than ours, and she makes two types, one with potato and the other cheese. She uses a fresh farmer's style cheese similar to queso fresco, and serves them with onions fried in butter and sour cream. So why quark? I combined her two varieties to get the best of both worlds; yukon gold potato with quark folded in. The acidity of the cheese balances the richness of the dough and the butter we fry them in. Ditto on the black pepper; the dish needs the punch. Further, all the ingredients are staples in eastern european cooking, a methodology I use to construct dishes at the restaurant. Arugula mirrors foraged greens from the region. At first we bought quark, then made it, then bought it again. Long story short, I try to do as much as we can here, but the quark we were making was inconsistent and not acidic enough. I'm researching procuring proper cultures, but until we are matching the final product of the brand I buy, we're going to hold off serving it. Steak Tartare- I'm glad you dug it, and don't worry about us ruining it for you. It is freshly hand chopped per shift, and necessarily mixed to order. The acidity in the dressing would cook the meat if we made it beforehand. The idea with that dish was to incorporate different textures (thank you Michel Richard) while seasoning the meat properly. The salad guy literally whips the meat with the dressing to achieve the proper consistency. Gastopub. Hmmm. I agree that we kind of are. Boundary Road is the culmination of the best aspects of places I've worked or spent serious time in. Those places were institutions in their neighborhoods, i.e. Uncle George's in Bel Air, The Blue Parrot in Gettysburg, Ragtime in Arlington, Cashion's here. I truly love restaurants and the communities they create between the staff, the neighbors, the tourists, the vibe. The bar figures so strongly into Boundary Road's identity because it is the base for that particular vibe I wanted to foster. The warm buzz of conversation enlivened by good food and booze. That's why we're open 7 days, serve lunch, and serve late night food until 1 every night. To be a neighborhood place that different people love for different reasons. Not to grab as much money as possible, but to be the organic neighborhood nexus that all of those other places were. Then there's our approach to food. Simple dishes that make sense and are impeccably sourced. Booze you're not going to see everywhere and is affordable and delicious. Kind of is the perfect descriptor for our place, and precisely what I wanted. I love things that don't fit neatly into convenient categories, things that are unique, but not chaotic (a formula for which I'm still figuring out). I hope this missive provides a window into what exactly it is we do at Boundary Road. I feel we haven't been particularly great at communicating it, precisely because our mission is tied to our evolution. You don't open as a neighborhood institution; you gotta earn that shit. Thanks for reaching out. I'm always available to discuss Boundary Road or restaurants in general, if you're interested. Brad Brad Walker Chef / Owner Boundary Road

I admire your principles. You're an inspiration to our organization.

Did you get your tickets? Also, Charlton Heston is awesome. Especially in Planet of The Apes, and especially especially when he smokes a cigar in space.

That. Is. Awesome. The only question is, what celebrity can we beg to read it on YouTube? Shatner? Thoughts?

Not sure if this pertains, but I know it is impossible to fish for Alaskan sablefish in the winter.

I've known Gervais for awhile and she's awesome. Go to Pesce and have some excellent seafood. Team Bon Chance.

Stove Top Stuffing but you use Cambells Cream of Potato Soup instead of water. Booyah.

Boundary Road is open for lunch and dinner.

I went to one of the soft opening events and really enjoyed it. The space is cool, especially the blond wood on the ceiling and the the retro-futuristic light fixtures. Also, the open kitchen contained within an old delivery door (i think) that looks great. I had a beet salad, nicely dressed and the beets perfectly cooked (not overdone as often happens). Also had the gnocchi with lamb sauce. Gnocchi were light and sauce was earthy and delicious. They mentioned lunch was on the horizon. Best of luck guys.

I really like Bistro Du Coin's.

Agreed. Just ask Alexander Litvinenko and/or Yasser Arafat. Apologies to any members of the Litvinenko and/or Arafat families for my insensitive remarks.

Apologies for my insensitive remarks to any Russians and/or bastards out there.

It's Yelp. I knew those bastards were Russian.

In the illustrious words of Damon Wayans, "hated it." Almost every point was painfully obvious, inflated with faux outrage, and/or flat out dumb. That piece in Vanity Fair felt the same way. The intraweb has inspired some folks to inflict their "revolutionary" opinions on the rest of us, and rarely are they insightful. I don't give a damn about NY bagels and the thing on foie gras is just wrong. There's a lot of finger wagging going on out there, and it really just smells like bullshit to me. I may be alone in that. You know what I'd like to see? Real, honestly good food writing. Not designed to spark a revolution, have your piece go viral, or push some kind of agenda. And another thing. I got particularly pissed about the "tipping should be abolished" thing. It's a goofy system, to be sure. But its our system. "If restaurateurs actually paid employees properly, rather than expecting them to subsist on the generosity of others, then we might not hear about another tip-skimming scandal every other day." This sentence is particularly insulting as a business owner, but I guess that's the entire point of the article and why it's so "shocking." It neglects to mention that the money that currently goes into a tip would have to be generated somehow, and it would be from the customer, i.e. a higher bill. But then, I'm a heartless, greedy monster. I guess I could go through the whole thing, but I will spare anyone unlucky enough to read this post the rest. I guess my own advice to the folks who hate tasting menus (don't buy them) should apply to this situation. Don't read this stuff. Over and out.

Definitely agree about Joel's passion for coffee, and Qualia is the by far the best cup I've had in town. Glad its in my neighborhood, but would travel for a cup.

They have them at Union Meat at Eastern Market.

I went two Mondays in a row and had no problem getting two seats at the bar.

Boundary Road will give it the good old college try and open for dinner. We will offer a limited menu and probably close early. Please call us to confirm if you're in the neighborhood. Please be safe and only swing by if you live around the corner. The bar's open now and we have meats and cheeses available for snacks.

I'm collecting the whole set. It was at least 8 pieces.

I was at the bar when Willy Fung came in. I also thought it was awesome. The wife and I had the chicken meatballs, calamari salad, uni with quail egg, cold soba noodles, and plenty of the bambi sake. We sat at the bar and enjoyed the simple food and casual service. I think this is my new monday hangout.

A small H street bistro is looking for a sous chef to assist the head chef with butchery, ordering, menu planning, scheduling, etc. This is not a clip-board position; I'll need someone to work the line a few nights a week, and work a few day shifts managing prep. Regular week is 5 1/2 days (6, then 5). Roughly 55 hours a week. We work with the best purveyors in town and change our menu frequently. This is an ideal position for a solid line cook looking to advance. Please email me at chefgunshow@gmail.com if you are interested. Thanks.

Salt is delicious.

Can we have a "Like" button? Please?

I agree. I think Maple is an awesome neighborhood addition. I had the gnocchi with pesto along with some other snacks a few weeks ago. Had a decently priced rose and thought the space was super cool. I can see Yelpers bitching about the close quarters, but I find it endearing.

Diane Rehm says "Warshington."