Jump to content

Kibbee Nayee

Moderator
 View Profile  See their activity

  • Posts

    2,324

  • Joined

  • Last visited

  • Days Won

    53

 Content Type 

Everything posted by Kibbee Nayee

  1. Kibbee Nayee
    Here's a topic in need of a refresh. Harth is now "The Social" and it's a food hall inside Hilton's headquarters in Tyson's Corner. I'll be meeting a friend there for lunch in a few weeks and I'll check it out for the Rockwellian crowd.
  2. Kibbee Nayee
    I would set foot in a Waldorf Astoria.
  3. Kibbee Nayee
    Enjoyed Mama Chang with a group of 6 last night. Food was delicious, to say the least. Somewhat crowded on a Saturday night, and noise level was high enough to make conversation across the table challenging. Very high scores for the duck-filled egg rolls, the pork/shrimp filled egg rolls, tofu skin salad, dry fried cauliflower, and Peking Duck. Although all the food was really delicious, these five dishes stood out. We ordered a large feast, and took many leftovers home, so we'll be eating Mama Chang's food throughout today. One of the better meals of the past year, but we haven't had that many meals inside restaurants this past year.
  4. Kibbee Nayee
    There were 7 of us on a Tuesday evening in Fulton, and Ranazul was our destination. There isn't much to add from previous reviews. We pretty much tried everything on the menu, and I would grade it a solid B-. Disappointment #1 was that there was no octopus anywhere on the menu, and one might think that a righteous tapas experience would include at least one instantiation of pulpo. If there even was a disappointment #2, it was the jovial bar waiter who said that the Angel's Envy he poured me was finished in sherry casks, when it was probably finished in rum casks. No other disappointments would be encountered. The menu was shrimp-forward, with ceviche, shrimp diavolo, shrimp orzo, and the frito mixto of shrimp and calamari. I had them all, and I declare the frito mixto the winner. It was fried nicely, as if the kitchen knows how to fry food properly. The frying skills were evident in the fried chicken and the batatas bravas. In second place overall was the lamb shank, which was fall-off-the-bone tender and very flavorful. I don't typically go for desserts, but don't avoid them here. the sopapillas and the carrot cake were superb. Who would have thought that credible tapas could be had in Fulton?
  5. Kibbee Nayee
    For those interested, a new Gong Cha is opening its bazillionth location in Springfield right next door to Springfield Butcher.
  6. Kibbee Nayee
    Lady Kibbee and I had tickets for The Mavericks at the Lincoln Theater, so we had dinner at The Smith, right down U Street less than a block away. Our normal Izakaya Seki was not booking reservations after 5:30, so we decided on The Smith at 6:00 on a Friday evening. I don't like chains but the menu was Lady KN-friendly (that means lots of seafood and chardonnay) and there are only seven locations between New York, Washington DC, and Chicago. So we gave it a try. The atmosphere was reminiscent of The Oceanaire or McCormick and Schmick's, which was a reasonably good sign, so we grabbed a table and tucked in. First round was the Royale, a medium ($57) seafood tower with oysters, shrimp cocktail, and spicy salmon tartare. It was very good, and since we are big fans of oysters, the oysters on the Royale were a hit. They were shucked perfectly, not a shell shard anywhere, they slipped off the shell into the mouth with ease. We could have stopped there and just ordered oysters, and believe me, we're talking about going back just for oysters. And that salmon tartare was delicious. Then came the mains. Wife had the salmon platter and declared it delicious, and I had the squid ink tagliatelle, with shrimp and calamari, and it was surprisingly sensational. I don't want to overstate this, but coming from a mini-chain kitchen, there was an obvious attentiveness and a decided lack of indifference that some chains are known for. This is not such that kind of chain. We happily noted that our future ventures to the Lincoln Theater would include a visit to The Smith.
  7. Kibbee Nayee
    Brunch today was disappointing. I consider this area of Potomac to be obscenely overpriced, but my wife and I were hungry and needed a bite before heading back to Virginia. And with Robert Wiedmaier involved, what would go wrong? Well, my general advice is to avoid this portion of Potomac unless you just won the lotto and have stupid money to spend. My $23 breakfast plate wasn't necessarily bad, but it was average at best and consisted of about $3 of ingredients. The two (medium) eggs were nicely cooked over easy and served medium hot, as if they were the last item plated. The split and toasted English muffin was probably from a bag of Thomas's muffins. The potatoes were nicely home fried with good crunch, but might not have added up to an entire potato. The two sausage links were the star of the plate, maybe sourced from a good butcher. The "seasonal fruit" was 3/4 of a strawberry that would be destined for the waste bin at a bib gourmand restaurant. This might have been a great $12.95 plate at Silver Diner or Bob and Edith's, but I expect more from Robert Wiedmaier. But then, this was Potomac. My wife had the salmon burger and declared it delicious. I tasted the fries and they were soggy. But a spanking good salmon burger for $16 should at least be praised for not being a $23 breakfast plate with $3 worth of ingredients. But then, this was Potomac. A few years ago we dined at Renato nearby. It was exorbitantly expensive, and of average quality. I'm think that "expensive and average" is a required description for meals in Potomac.
  8. Kibbee Nayee
    Maybe it was yesterday's spectacular weather on the waterfront, the al fresco dining, the wonderful company of my lovely wife, or the people-watching of (mostly) tourists, but the meal at Vola's was a really nice experience. Lady KN and I tore into 4 dozen oysters to start -- 2 dozen Chincoteague and 2 dozen James River -- and then followed with peel-and-eat shrimp for her and a lobster roll for me. All around very good eating. The oysters were shucked almost perfectly, with just a bit of shell shard on only 2 of the 48 oysters we devoured. In addition to the high quality of the oysters, plump and juicy and briny, the addition of fresh-grated horseradish next to the cocktail sauce was nice. My lobster roll was very good, with probably 6 ounces of lobster on the traditional roll, and some of the best fries I've eaten in the past year. The fries were hot out of the fryer, maybe even an air fryer, with a dusting of slightly spicy seasoning. Lady KN's shrimp were of the oxymoronish jumbo size, with a coating of spice that was nicely complementary. Old Town on a beautiful Sunday afternoon has many enjoyable sights and sounds, and we vowed to repeat the experience again in the near future before the weather takes away the pleasure of outdoor dining.
  9. Kibbee Nayee
    Theirs was not always the best in the area, but it was good enough (for someone with the eponymous screen name). The Lebanese cuisine in this area is credible, compared to most metropolitan areas not named New York, Los Angeles, or Detroit/Dearborn. Our selection of Mama Ayesha's, Lebanese Taverna, Me Jana, Mediterranean Bakery, Mediterranean Gourmet Market, Albi's in the Navy Yard, among a few others, is an abundance of goodness.
  10. Kibbee Nayee
    Springfield's hamburger competition has heated up over the past few months with the arrival of Dyfre's Burger on Fullerton Road near the Springfield Costco. Afghan Bistro still holds the top spot, but Dyfre's has probably supplanted BGR The Burger Joint and Mike's American Grill for the #2 spot. Uber Eats carried my order about a mile to my house. I enjoyed the $12 Elite Burger, a side salad, and the fried calamari with jalapeño slices. The quality was overall good, but perhaps the Sunday afternoon non-prime timeframe or the Uber Eats travel didn't do the items enough justice. The calamari was a bit salty and probably fried past optimal -- they were rubbery -- but the chipotle rioli dipping sauce was exceptional. The burger came in a dark brown bun, which was not called out on the menu. It was good, but a bit flimsy considering the half pound of Angus beef plus cheese, tomato, pickles, onions, and lettuce inside the bun. I ordered the burger medium, and it came closer to medium well, so I chalk that up to the Uber Eats ride. Nonetheless, this was a damned good burger. I mentioned in the title that a bit of Mexican influence was apparent on the menu -- Mexican Burger, Empanadas, Mexican Coke, Corona Extra, Frozen Margarita....the owner is Freddy Vargas, and the Dyfre's website links to La Taqueria DC, at the same Fullerton Road location and with the same phone number as Dyfre's, also owned by Freddy Vargas. Bella Vita Pizza is also part of Freddy's mini-empire. The Dyfre's menu also brags about its hot dogs, which is not all that common among the fast-casual establishments. The Dyfre's Hot Dog and the Classic Hot Dog both look like future menu options for me, and the cooler weather in the coming months would put the Grilled Cheese and Tomato Soup on my radar. More reports to come....I'm thinking of a progressive pig-out of Tacos Lengua (x2) at La Taqueria DC, and La Mexicana Pizza at Bella Vita Pizza, and then the Empanadas at Dyfre's would be a decent binge.
  11. Kibbee Nayee
    Closed. Replaced by La Fiamma.
  12. Kibbee Nayee
    Gonzalo and Melina Pardo met at Paradiso in 2003, and they dreamed of opening their own restaurant for over a decade. The Argentine family, joined by their two sons and a chef from New York, recently opened La Fiamma in the former Paradiso space. I plan on giving it a try, but the exterior is nicely refreshed, and the menu has some items like Seafood alla Veneziana, which Lady KN will devour, homemade black linguine and all....and count me in on the veal chop with Barolo reduction. Opening a family-owned single restaurant on the tail end of a pandemic -- with the Delta variant looming -- takes a special set of equipage. I'm rooting for them to succeed, and I applaud their fortitude. I'm thinking this is a cooler weather kind of restaurant, but it's on my list.
  13. Kibbee Nayee
    The restaurant turnover continues in Springfield, and other places as well. Hot Peppercorn appears to be worth a try. The menu doesn't look to be overly Americanized, and some interesting dishes like duck blood, beef, and tripe in spicy broth, or pork intestine and fish filet in spicy broth, caught my eye. I will give it a try and report within the coming weeks.
  14. Kibbee Nayee
    Closed. Replaced by Hot Peppercorn in the same space.
  15. Kibbee Nayee
    My mistake. Still open when I drove past it today. Whatever was next door was closed.
  16. Kibbee Nayee
    Tomorrow is the 10th anniversary of this Springfield gem: https://www.facebook.com/events/564886621313398?ref=newsfeed Come one, come all!
  17. Kibbee Nayee
    I like the Lorton Station little faux town center because you can put together a progressive meal. In the former Fireside Grill space will be coming the anticipated locavore stylings of Home Town Grill and Bar. In the former Pane e Vino space just a stone's throw away is Casa Tequila, a not too bad Americanized Mexican restaurant with only four local outposts -- Purcellville, Alexandria, Sterling, and Lorton. The latter has a tequila list that is among the more extensive in northern Virginia.
  18. Kibbee Nayee
    Lucky's was a casualty of the pandemic. Closed about a year ago.
  19. Kibbee Nayee
    Interesting development here....in the (hopefully) last stage of a pandemic, a non-chain specializing in "Modern American food from a fresh seasonal menu served along side craft cocktails and local brews" sounds like an adventure. The previous tenant was the very good Fireside Grill, so expectations will be moderately high. Home Town Bar and Grill appears to be not a chain, so it will be fun to watch it sort through its growing pains in a just-reemerging market. Stay tuned for updates.
  20. Kibbee Nayee
    I don't think Dera has closed. It is right next door to the two empty spaces that will soon be filled by Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken and Makchang Dodook.
  21. Kibbee Nayee
    I have driven back and forth past The Block on many occasions without stopping in. Today I stopped in, and I'm not likely to pass it by so frequently in the future. My previous go-to (and carry out) banh mi sandwiches were always DC Sandwich in Falls Church and Le Bledo in Springfield. Both are very good. But the char siu pork banh mi with added egg and a side of fries from Balo today was spectacular. I will return many times for that sandwich. It survived about an 8-mile trip home while retaining its deliciousness and texture, and Lady Kibbee devoured the near-perfect fries when I arrived home. Let me repeat, those fries traveled about 8 miles and were absolutely delicious upon arrival at my home. As if that wasn't enough, the combination dumplings from Bold Dumpling at the next stall over also survived the trip and was a nice treat. A lovely meal all around. Worth the detour to Annandale.
  22. Kibbee Nayee
    Catching up on the restaurant scene post-pandemic is a daily process, and too many updates involve closings. But there are some openings to report! Two new restaurants are preparing to open on a strip of Brookfield Plaza that already has the best Thai restaurant in Springfield -- Thai Ghang Waan -- and the best Korean restaurant south of Annandale -- Kang Chon -- as well as my favorite Halal butcher and second-favorite butcher in Springfield. The new restaurants will be Bonchon Korean Fried Chicken and Makchang Dodook. Bonchon is a national chain, but brings Korean fried chicken to Springfield for the first time. Makchong Doddok is a Korean BBQ restaurant whose only other outpost appears to be in Ho Chi Minh City. To both of these establishments, welcome to Springfield!
  23. Kibbee Nayee
    Closed. Apparently a victim of the pandemic.
  24. Kibbee Nayee
    Four years since the last post? The wife and I were passing through the Merrifield area around lunchtime on a recent Saturday, and Merrifield has plenty of nice dining options. I was open to any suggestions, but having received none, I wanted to see if Four Sisters had survived the pandemic. I figured any restaurant coming up on two decades would be fading, and the pandemic would probably push it over the edge, so as much for curiosity as for serious eating, we ended up there. My expectations were in check. Some normal precautions were in place. Plastic covered menus, cleansed after each use, were passed to us at the door. We were seated but instructed to order our food at the bar, and it would be served to our table number. Reasonable spacing was observed. We decided to order lunch to be eaten in the restaurant, and takeout to be eaten at home for dinner. For lunch, I had the shaking beef, and Lady Kibbee ordered the shrimp with broccoli. Both dishes were very good to excellent. Portions were generous, flavors were delicious, and value was exceptional. For takeout, I had the vermicelli with grilled pork and chả giò, and spouse had another shrimp dish. All in, tax plus tip, four covers, just about $100. It's rare for any restaurant to be bringing it for multiple decades, but Four Sisters still has what it takes to be a satisfying dining destination.
  25. Kibbee Nayee
    Drove by Sea Pearl a week ago after another wonderful meal at Four Sisters and noticed that Sea Pearl is deader than a doornail. Neon signs removed. Closed.
×
×
  • Create New...