silentbob

Good to hear that there's more competition in the city now. How do the prices here compare to 2 Amy's?

Has anyone been recently? My family's having dinner tomorrow with out-of-towners who are staying at the Hilton, and this seems like the only moderately-priced place nearby for people whose tastes are VERY unadventurous. I had a decent pizza here two years ago, but that's about it. Any other recommendations that are within walking distance would be appreciated as well.

I love the deep-fried wings from Oohs and Aahs. Has anyone ever been to Wingstop? There's one right next to my house and I'm always getting coupons in the mail for the place. It's a chain, but I'm willing to overlook that if the wings are good enough.

How big are the dumplings here? Maybe it's just me, but 12 dumplings for $7.50 seems a tad expensive. There are places in Manhattan that sell 5 dumplings for a buck. Granted, the "Special Dumplings" contain much more in the filling than the pork/chive ones at Tasty Dumpling, but the price disparity is still pretty huge IMO. Same goes for the ginormous pot-stickers at A&J that appear to be a much better deal.

There will definitely be a next time. I got the veal chop and convinced my sister to get the fried chicken. The veal was moist and tender but the chicken was out of this world! My aunt and grandmother got the chateaubriand for two. Po-Po could not stop putting the bearnaise sauce on everything she ate. The biscuits were also as great as advertised. My only minor quibble is that the andouille should be just a bit spicier. As for dessert, we got the apple charlotte and the chocolate layer cake. I am not a fan of cooked apples (bad experience as a kid), but tried the other part. Best. Crust. Ever. Hopefully the peach charlotte will return soon so I can have the entire thing. Just as importantly, the service was probably the best we've had anywhere. Can't wait to return.

Stopped by for a quick dinner on Sunday. We had the following: Pasta With Hot Meat Sauce (N11). I know Joe's is not known for good noodles but given that we were out for my grandmother's birthday, it was more or less obligatory (for those who don't know, a Chinese superstition states that long noodles on birthday = long life). Flavor was nothing special, but the dish definitely delivered as promised on the spicy/numb combo. Salty and Crispy Squid (A28). After several years, this is still my favorite dish here. The breading was not as crispy as usual, but the squid tasted great as always. Spicy and Tasty Cold Chicken (A46). The literal translation of the dish is actually "Spicy and Strange-Tasting Chicken" -- we all loved it. Once again, it was packed with the spicy/numb combo. I could not feel my tongue for several minutes. Sliced Pork and Taro Root in Tofu Cheese Sauce (F13). Another one of my usual favorites. My only complaint is that the portion is kinda small. A little fatty pork goes a long way though. After years of not liking taro, I'm enjoying it again. The sauce is great with rice, and I don't even like rice. I really need to eat here more than once a year.

We had a trial nearby last week and ate here all five days (it wasn't on my penny, so beggars can't be choosers). The food was usually acceptable but definitely not great by any means. Because the partners on the case always ordered salads instead of entrees, I wasn't about to get a steak and tried the following instead: Harry salad - chopped shrimp, string beans, bacon, tomatoes, red onion, and roasted red peppers. Strange combination of ingredients that surprisingly worked. I ended up having this twice. "OB" salad - pieces of filet mignon on mixed greens with shallot vinaigrette. Meh. The beef was cooked perfectly but Blandy McBland. "Cajun" pan-roasted salmon salad - fish was slightly overcooked and not remotely spicy. Big thumbs down. Blue-cheese stuffed burger - apparently, it comes with a side of vegetables and is sans bun. Once again, the burger itself was fine but totally under-seasoned. Needless to say, I won't return voluntarily (although the service was generally excellent).

We're taking my grandmother (a.k.a. Po-Po) here in a couple of days for a milestone birthday. Based on the comments in this thread, I'm torn about whether to try the fried chicken or veal chop. Both sound great, so what factors should I consider in deciding which to order? Of course, I could always ask Po-Po to get the one that I don't -- it's likely she'll be full before finishing the entire entree...

It appears that Nigella has a new show on the Food Network that's presumably based on her Feast book. It premieres this Sunday. VERY excited. BTW, I was watching Everyday Italian the other day and Giada (a.k.a. Little Big Head) made a great-looking panini with tuna and frisee. Has anyone ever tried to make panini using a Foreman grill? I'd rather not buy a unitasking panini press if possible.

My NYC friends have said very good things about Cafe Gray and Picholine. So my dinner at Blue Ribbon last month was hit-or-miss, but the hits were sublime. On the downside, the fried oysters were fairly nondescript for $16.50 and the greens in the warm goat cheese salad were quite bland. That said, the beef marrow and oxtail marmalade on toast was one of the best dishes I've ever had. Marrow is starting to replace foie gras as my favorite "rich" foods. Like a savory dessert. Another big winner was the fried skate with potatoes, bacon, and shrimp. I had never tried skate before...wow! A seafood dish that tastes like fried chicken, who knew? Finally, the steak tartare (like the marrow) was ultra-rich and creamy, but with enough tang and meaty flavor. After dinner, my friend and I walked across the Village to the Lower East Side for the 5-course dessert tasting menu at WD-50. Sam Mason is gone, and Alex Stupak (the former pastry chef at Alinea) has replaced him. Generally speaking, the flavor combinations served that night were bold but a bit too out-there for our tastes. By contrast, we thought that Chef Mason's desserts managed the right balance of creativity and accessibility. What I liked: - peach puree, soy milk, strawberries, buckwheat ice cream - the buckwheat ice cream was AWESOME. Oddly addictive, and it could probably be paired with a lot of savory dishes in the right context. The tiny wild strawberries were also packed with zing. What I thought was okay: - menthol mousse, lemon, chartreuse, melon sorbet - decently refreshing, but a dessert should not taste like medicine! - shortbread, jasmine ice cream, banana, saffron - I don't get why saffron in food is such a big deal. The jasmine ice cream was a great palate cleanser after a long night of eating, though. - soft chocolate, avocado, licorice, lime - the chocolate was fine. I was interested in the combination with lime, because chocolate often works well with orange (e.g., Milano cookies). The avocado was totally out of place. An intriguing dish, if nothing else. What I disliked: - black currant cake, black sesame, shiso, meringue - the cake was fine. The black sesame goo, on the other hand, did not work at all. Maybe I'm too unsophisticated, but it simply did not taste good. The service was excellent. The manager asked for our input about the desserts and seemed genuinely interested in hearing what we said. He also comped us a glass of port (which was totally unnecessary but a generous gesture nonetheless) because he thought the time between courses was too long, which totally wasn't the case. My only quibble with WD-50, having eaten there twice now, is that the decor is borderline hideous. But I also have no aptitude for interior decorating whatsoever, so take that with a grain of salt.

I finally managed to track one down at Balducci's. The brand name is Scalia Benedetto, and wow the can is large. Does anyone have tips on how to store anchovies once the can has been opened? There is no way I will be able to use them all at once. Latest Capogiro gelato flavors that I've tried: Lemon yogurt (ultra-creamy with just the right amount of tang), Lancaster County meadow mint with stracciatella (blows any mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the water), and chocolate hazelnut (even better than Nutella, if that's possible). I also tried the lime cilantro sorbet, which was merely decent. Not enough cilantro flavor, and not nearly as good as the blood orange sorbet.

I dunno if the description here suggests that this place is part of the "empire" but there is enough of a link that I expected better from my meal. That said, I haven't been to Sam & Harry's in five years and have never tried Harry's Tap Room.

My grandmother and aunt took me here for a birthday dinner. We got the Samurai plate and the sushi is generally decent. I still think Kotobuki provides the better fish and bargain overall. The spider roll I ordered separately was not crispy enough. Highlight of the meal was the yellowtail cheek teriyaki. Any fish cheek is bound to be good, but we could not stop picking at it until there was literally no meat left. Lovely stuff. Even though this place is only 10 minutes away, I'll probably drive the extra 15 minutes to Kotobuki next time.

Yeah, so I was horribly late to jump on the Komi bandwagon. Three of us did the tasting menu the first night they opened after vacation. Rather than re-hash what others have said, I'll comment on some of the dishes that we enjoyed the most: - Beef carpaccio on fried Greek cheese - not nearly as heavy as it looked, and I definitely would not have minded eating a whole plate of these. - Crostini with caviar mousse - also could've eaten several of these. Good texture contrast and the saltiness was not too overpowering. - Braised pork shoulder in pita with tzatziki - any kind of pork shoulder sandwich is likely to be a winner, and the combination with yogurt was oddly refreshing. - Orecchiette with sweetbreads, chanterelles, and a runny egg - I could eat this once a week. Great texture contrast, and I think that I should start putting a runny egg in any pasta dish. Not counting my mom's cooking, this was easily the most satisfying meal I've had during my 28 years in the DC area. Definitely worth every penny, can't wait to return.

My friends and I have been coming here every Monday night during the past several weeks for the pub quiz. I've tried a few items from the menu: - Grilled Irish pork sausage with potato salad and gravy - the sausage has decent taste and mediocre texture, the gravy is too salty and watery. - Caesar salad - passable, slightly underdressed, and needs a few more anchovies. - Fried oyster with pickled vegetable relish - probably the dish I liked most, though it's pretty hard to screw up fried oysters. Others have tried the boxty and thought the pancake itself was okay but hated the sauce. There are still a couple of items (corned beef, Irish smoked salmon) that I plan to try. I'll pass on the fish and chips now that Eamonn's is open.

WD-50 is also a few blocks away from the Delancey/Essex subway station. I picked db. It's actually just around the corner from our NYC office. Also, one of my best friends had a great dinner there last week. The set-up is kinda unconventional -- there is a front dining room, at the back of which is stairs leading up to the hosts. Then, there is the bar area with two tables for individuals on one side and two communal tables on the other side. Behind this area is the back dining room. I sat at one of the individual bar area tables, which was only several feet away from the hosts, so it felt kinda weird having everyone walking near or past me while I was eating. But the people-watching was fun, too. Regarding the meal itself, I had the heirloom tomato salad with basil, two triangular slices of ricotta, and two fried polenta sticks. Perfect summer dish, and I am slowly appreciating why some people on this board are tomato snobs who only eat them during certain months. The green tomatoes had a dull tanginess, while the yellow ones were tangy in a much sharper and more complex way. Red ones (both the slices and cherry-shaped) were packed with sweet acidity. I didn't expect much from the ricotta but they provided sufficient saltiness. The polenta accomplished the same and were perfectly fried. Main course was the coq au vin. Not at all a summer dish, but I had to try the Daniel Boulud version. Fairly standard ingredients-wise with lardons, wild mushrooms, and pearl onions, but executed at an impeccable level. The only semi-twist was that the dish was served with a very generous portion of spaetzle (in its very own Staub mini-ramekin). Like the raviolini at Notti Bianche, I could eat this once a week and never get bored. Perfect comfort food, which I badly needed after having driven up from MD at 5:30 this morning. My only criticism is that the chicken, while sufficiently tender, had a slightly gummy texture. But that's just nit-picking for its own sake. Including a drink, tax, and tip, total bill was just over $60. A bit pricey but mostly worth it. On par with the lunch I had at Eve recently, perhaps slightly better. Next time I'll probably end up going back to Cafe Boulud. My palate is probably not quite ready for Daniel yet. Although the portions were generous, my stomach is thankfully not that full anymore. Can't wait for Blue Ribbon and WD-50 tonight.

Anyone know who else is competing against the ICs next season (from DC or otherwise)? I'd do a Google search, but there are still several episodes from this season that I haven't watched yet and I don't want to take the chance and get spoiled about their outcomes.

Are we really allowed to print out as many coupons as we need and go back repeatedly to take advantage of the offer? If so, seems too good to be true! I better open up some room in the freezer for the Capogiro.

I'm working out of our NYC office tomorrow before dinner/dessert at Blue Ribbon and WD-50. Both db Bistro Moderne and Esca are about a 5 minute walk away for lunch. Based on the comments I've read here and elsewhere, I can't seem to decide where to go. The choice would've been easy if I wanted the $29 burger, but I'm already set on getting the beef marrow and steak tartare at Blue Ribbon tomorrow night. db Pros: Coq au vin, one of my best meals ever was at Cafe Boulud db Cons: Have read some bad reviews, can probably get similar food in DC Esca pros: There's no restaurant in DC serving food like this Esca cons: As I posted about my meals at Sea Catch and Hank's, my palate is way too unsophisticated to appreciate good fish/seafood Any other factors that should weigh on my decision?

Ah, memories. My then-girlfriend and I double-dated here for dinner before junior prom 15 years ago -- at that point, I was far from a foodie and even then I thought the food was rather mediocre. (things actually went further downhill later that evening and it turned out to be my Worst Date Ever!)

After Hours with Daniel Boulud looks awesome in HD. The episodes themselves have been hit or miss, IMO. The ones at Cru, BLT Prime, and WD-50 were very fun to watch. Aquavit (although I enjoyed my meal there several years ago) and Maremma, not so much. It definitely depends a lot on the chefs and celebrities who show up. For example, Cornelius Gallagher (the chef at Oceana) is a riot in the Cru episode.

I can't tell from this article when Sam Mason will be leaving, exactly. If it isn't before next Friday, we'll try to make it down to WD-50 for dessert after Blue Ribbon, because they were phenomenally good the first time I ate there. http://travel2.nytimes.com/2006/07/26/dining/26off.html You may be right, though I hope for my sake that you're wrong! My friend in NYC recommended it and because we've had great meals in the past (e.g., Cafe Boulud, Annisa, WD-50), I'm reluctant to overrule her at this time. Our first choice was Babbo but it's booked solid, not surprisingly.

Completely agreed about Suzhou and Hangzhou. We did not have a single bad meal during our week in the Yangtze River Delta. Dongpo roh ("fatty pork belly") is one of the best dishes around. And in terms of bang for buck, China is virtually unparalleled. You can eat like a king or queen for $10-$15 quite easily.

A buddy and I tried the Fairfax lunch buffet on Friday. Not as spicy as the buffet in Herndon but almost as good. Chicken makhani is definitely a top 5 candidate for my hypothetical "death row" last meal. Next time, must eat slower so I can try the gulab jamun. Which, by the way, is one of the most fun things to say. Gulab jamun!

Based on the recommendations upthread, I took my grandmother to the Super Chicken in Wheaton. We ordered a whole chicken with fries and cole slaw (not my preference, but gotta defer to your elders) to go. The chicken was perfectly roasted and juicy. It was not as seasoned as I expected, though the sauces certainly made up for that in spades. The green chili sauce could've used a bit of salt, and the mayo sauce worked better with the fries. I will try El Pollo Rico next time, just to see how they compare.