dcandohio
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Everything posted by dcandohio
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If a restaurant has rules, and I choose to go there, I am fine to follow the rules, as long as they are clear. I once witnessed a very polite yet strained conversation in a restaurant (not in DC) about whether a lady's capris were, in fact, shorts. Yikes. The customer was embarrassed and the host was uncomfortable. It reminded me of Catholic school where we had to kneel to prove that our skirts were not too short. The whole "smart casual" or the worse "dress to impress" really don't give any direction, so why bother? My smart casual is probably some else's very casual, and my "dress to impress" might indeed make an impression, albeit one I did not intend to make. People who think it is OK to wear ratty cargo shorts and a rock concert t-shirt to an upscale restaurant probably aren't going to be affected one way or another by a recommendation of "smart casual." I like to get gussied up and be around other people who are gussied up, when I'm in that kind of mood. But largely, I think it's difficult to impose any sort of sartorial guidelines on people in restaurants when guidelines for clothes in other aspect of life are also missing. And now for that "I've become my mother" moment...if you could see what some of my undergraduates wear to class on any given day you might yearn for dress codes.
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I very much enjoyed the baby clams and pork from the appetizer menu. This was, to my tastes, one of the best versions of the dish I've had. We also really liked the mango salad with dried fish. Unfortunately, menu description did not list dried shrimp. +1 is allergic, but they were easy enough to avoid. Like Eric, I thought the grilled pork on vermicelli was fine, just not too exciting. We arrived a little before noon on Saturday, and by noon it was packed. The noise in there is deafening. There are a lot of hard surfaces in there, and many babies exercising their lungs. I would definitely return, perhaps at an off hour to enjoy the food in a more quiet atmosphere. The walk to Eden Center from the E. Falls Church metro is the perfect way to burn some calories prior to lunch, and yesterday's lovely weather made the walk very pleasant.- 43 replies
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- Falls Church
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I went to the City Eats page and info but the menu for this event just downloads as a blank page. Any insiders or friends of Mike's out there have a menu for the pop-up events? I would love to try the pop-up, but my partner has food allergies and it's very good for us to scan a set menu ahead of the cancellation deadline in case there's not much she can eat.
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I am a New Orleans girl and I can only say that Central Grocery, for me, is THE standard muffaletta. Everything else, whether in New Orleans or elsewhere, is rated against CG. There's something about the faint nuttiness of the seeds in the bread, the earthy yeastiness of the bread, the brine and slight crunch of the olive salad (contains celery and carrots) and the meat/cheese is just a perfect sandwich. It can be accompanied by an Abita or a Barq's root beer or Barq's creme soda. One fourth is about right for me, making a whole loaf the perfect mid-day repast for 4. Eating at Central Grocery, among sacks of dried breans, canned tomatoes and racks of spices is one of my life's best dining experiences. Second best is walking to the levee, finding a bench and eating while watching the barges and tankers on the Mississippi River.
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I have not tried chasing tails. I did try Hot & Juicy recently. A sort of reasonable attempt at a real, Louisiana crawfish boil. There was not enough balance in the spicing. You should experience garlic, salt, lemon, pepper, allspice....H&J had a lot of pepper, but lacked the real salt, garlic, lemon, etc. Also, they were too juicy. Real crawfish are drained very well before serving. What's up with all that juice? It just makes a mess. So far, the only "real" south Louisiana crawfish I've had come from the Acadiana Friday patio specials but those mud bugs are expensive. Sigh. When you grow up with crawfish boils as a regular spring celebration, and when someone's dad buys a sack of live bugs and everyone argues about how many lemons or how much cayenne goes into the boil, the DC restaurant stuff just doesn't live up.
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We have been twice at opening on weekends. The good news is that tables are plentiful. The bad news is that the donut frying machine "donot robot," was not ready. Last visit we watched a multi-stage cleaning process, hoping for eventual donut frying, but alas, had to leave before tasting the donuts. Hamburger was excellent and pulled pork is good. The beef brisket is better. Superb onion rings. This is a wonderful spot and I only wish it was closer to my home.
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I think I ordered poorly last night. The onion and bacon flammekueche was fun as a start, and perfect for sharing. But then I veered back far into winter with the rabbit tongue moussaka and the roasted cauliflower/mushrooms. It just didn't work on a perfect spring night - too rich and too heavy. The mushrooms were quite rubbery. The moussaka was lacking any kind of textural or visual contrast. It was tasty, and the tongue was pretty tender, but I tired of it after a few bites. +1 had the winter green salad (so eager for when that description is "spring greens ") and the tagliatelle, which she loved. Portions are generous. The starters are easily ample if you have a starter and salad or nibble. The table next to us got desserts that were giant-sized. Plenty for two. Tables are very close together. Prepare to enjoy your neighbors' conversations, and to have them enjoy yours. The design is nice without providing kitchy distractions. Our server was friendly and efficient. Actually, all interactions with the staff, including asking for directions to the loo, were extremely plesant. People were upbeat and working hard. I want to try Mintwood again when spring has sprung onto the menu.
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Minestrone, Maryland crab soup, flank steak and brick chicken served in a very inviting space among a diverse crowd. Food is solid, like well-executed home cooking. Ample portions. Even with an almost full house, quiet conversation was easy. I don't know how much the Obama visit increased enthusiasm for this place, or whether people just appreciate a competent kitchen on H street, but given the Monday evening crowd I can't imagine what it's like on a Saturday night. Definitely a winner. We are eager to try some of the more innovative items on the menu, and to experience a summer menus when they are in place. Make a reservation if you want to go!
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Minestrone, Maryland crab soup, flank steak and brick chicken served in a very inviting space among a diverse crowd. Food is solid, like well-executed home cooking. Ample portions. Even with an almost full house, quiet conversation was easy. I don't know how much the Obama visit increased enthusiasm for this place, or whether people just appreciate a competent kitchen on H street, but given the Monday evening crowd I can't imagine what it's like on a Saturday night. Definitely a winner. We are eager to try some of the more innovative items on the menu, and to experience a summer menus when they are in place. Make a reservation if you want to go!
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Bodega doesn't have to be adventurous, as some of the tapas choices are quite mainstream, but it does get loud later in the evening. I love La Chaumiere, but the tables are quite close together, making intimate or important conversations somewhat challenging. Even though the food is not the best, Bangkok Joe's has booths that make conversation easy. Honestly, the suggestion of The Guards is not bad at all. Lots of nooks in there for quiet conversation, especially earlier in the evening. And it's got that historic look and feel.
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What she said, +1000. It is RARE to find a useful review on Chowhound. "I'm coming to DC - rate my list of restaurants!" "Tell me the places where tourists don't go!" "I want to eat at the best DC has to offer!" It's the same old, same old, every day. No one there bothers to post reviews any more. It serves a purpose, but usually not MY purpose.
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This community could quickly devolve to "DC Chowhound" if member registration is loosened up. The process of being verified creates a sense of membership which comes with a normative obligation to be a good citizen. I like that. Content quality is very high. I LEARN stuff here! Monetizing the site doesn't necessarily require sheer volume. A segment such as the Rockwellians are extremely valuable for certain types of businesses. Restaurants, obviously, but the lifestyle habits of discriminating diners tend to attract other types of businesses, too. In media terms, the CPM of a community like this one could be pretty high.
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My complaint about this place is the predatory seating when it is busy - you order before knowing whether you'll have a place to sit, and then hover by the first table that seems closest to leaving. I wish the staff could do a better job of helping manage the seating, but I realize the place is basically self service and their success is evidence that people are OK with the current system. I wish I had known that you can snag any empty seat at the bar, order from a bartender and avoid the "wait and hope" syndrome. After I ordered from the cashier I asked if I could take the ONE empty seat at the bar and was sternly reprimanded, "Bar seating, ma'am, is reserved for those ordering at the bar." Well, I would have ordered at the bar had I known it was an option, sonny.
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We ate here the last time I was in town. The bamboo salad, ordered "Lao hot," was in fact, insanely hot. We orderd the Orm Lao hot, too, after being assured by our server that the heat is tamed in the Orm. True. The Orm was spicy, but in a warming kind of way, not in a burning kind of way. We also had tilapia - it seemed to be steamed under a lot of herbs. Very mild, but the piece of fish itself was huge and fresh. The Lao sausage on the appetizer menu were tasty. I liked it a lot, but given our general lack of wheels, it's not likely to be a regular thing for us.
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vistaprint.com 100 sticky note pads (50 3"x 3" sheets pad) = $99.99, shown on their web site as a sale. There is a set up charge, but it is not expensive. 3M also offers custom post-it notes in larger sizes. If this is a viable option, I am happy to do more research.
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Is is possible to do a "Post It" type of sticker...one that adheres but is also easily removed? I don't know about the quality of the image that can be reproduced, or the cost...but i'd be more likely to carry a pad of sticky notes that a roll of Scotch (or other brand) tape.
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I will donate. I am only in DC part-time, but when I am there I dine out as much as possible. I want to be a part of the fun.
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We were there for RW week, too. +1 had the venison which was marvelous. Beautiful and delicious. And we took advantage of the 33% off wine over $50. I can't recall what we had, but is was a luscious wine, at a super price. But if you want to eat at Dino outside of RW, it's really easy to have a fantastic meal for $35.
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I love this idea. Members could vote once a year, or once every six months, and either the top X% or the top # in each area, or something, could get "DR Member approved" stickers! I know I would love to see that at an unfamiliar restaurant entrance. Personally, I shudder a bit when I see the "Yelp" sticker. I don't find Yelp reliable, and after reading lots of Yelp reviews in both cities where I live, I conclude that I am just not in the Yelp target market. Which is fine.
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I have been to Tabard for many occasions but never for Sunday brunch. Well, that has been corrected. We had an 11:00 reservation because I had to leave DC on Sunday afternoon (boo! hiss!) and I wanted to do something fun and celebratory before I left to end my weekend on a high note. The service was quite good, from the service at our table (pleasant and efficient) to watching the staff help a guy who feared he had lost his credit card. The place is a mad-house. The parlor area was packed, the bar area was packed but the restaurant itself seemed to be running sanely. The servers don't seem ruffled by the pace or the crowds. We didn't feel rushed, and actually weren't rushed, even though we sat with the last of our wine for a while (we would have vacated if there hadn't been empty two-tops while we lingered). The food was very good, and quite a value when you consider the ingredients and preparation. OK, the donuts...I am not often tempted by sweets, especially early in the day, but these things are wonderful. Light, warm, crunchy with cinnamon sugar. Then you dip in the whipped cream...gosh, so good. I had fried oysters, pork belly and poached eggs on grits with some sort of buerre blanc ($13). I was afraid it would be too heavy, and too rich. Somehow, it all worked without overpowering me. The oysters (3) were of high quality, fried really crisp. The grits were coarse ground (I like) and not too thin - breaking the yolk of the egg into the grits created a perfect loose texture. The pork belly was well-done. I'm not a huge fan of pork belly, as all that fat can be too much, but his wasn't a huge piece and it added the necessary "bacon" component to breakfast. +1 had the skirt steak with poached eggs, chimichurri and potatoes. OK, for $17, this rivals any steak prep we've had in the city. A sizeable portion of steak, done perfectly medium rare, with a bracing chimichurri and a large serving of roasted potatoes. Add in the two poached eggs...it's a great value for a lot of good food. We left stuffed to the gills, pleased with the experience and the value. I can't wait for spring, to recreate the experience on that lovely Tabard patio.
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I think we're going to try the Lao menu at Bangkok Garden. I will report back, if we do. We are new to the ZipCar experience, and I'm afraid we're going to spend lots of money renting cars to eat beyond our metro borders. Could be bad for the wallet and the waistlines...
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If the grilled octopus is on the appetizer menu, please get this. You will be very happy.
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Next Saturday (1/21) we are getting a ZipCar in DC and want to travel to have a lunch experience that we can't do easily via the metro. We've walked as far as Eden Center from the metro, so I'd prefer some recs that are really, truly, not metro accessible. We are thinking about Honey Pig or Bangkok Garden, but are open to suggestions. We definitely want something ethnic, and preferably something that isn't easily available in DC proper (where we eat all the time), or that is so much better in the burbs. We like everything, but +1 is allergic to shellfish so that has to be a consideration. Thanks, Rockwellians.
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OK, following up to my first post about Bayou on Penn. We went on New Year's Day because we wanted to watch the Saints with like-minded fans, and also because I wanted a po-boy. The Saints were awesome, as usual, and the crowd was really into the game, which was fun. CAVEAT: It was New Year's Day - I suspect the place was a bit understaffed, and several times the chef himself brought out food to help the staff keep up - and I give any place a serious break on a day when most staff and customers are hung-over. But...the po-boy wasn't as good as on my first visit. This time I tried the 1/2 and 1/2 - shrimp on one side, oysters on the other. The seafood wasn't hot, as in perhaps not freshly fried. The shrimp, especially, were tasty, but would have been better just out of the fryer. There was too much mayo for my taste. Next time, I ask for mayo on the side. The bread is still spot on, which is very important. The side of red beans and rice was dangerously delicious. The serving seemed kind of small until we dumped it out on share plates...and it was quite enough for two as a side. Oh, my. Full of smoky sausage (and maybe some ham hock), rich and meaty without overwhelming the essential flavor of the beans. It was drier than my Mom's version, as she tends toward soupy, but I would get this again happily. Yum. We were able to linger for the whole game and though the place was busy, there was never a demand for our table. The staff seemed fine to let us linger, and the cold Abitas kept coming. Definitely a fun place but I hope that on a normal day the po-boy is back to its original glory.
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We enjoyed the early part of NYE here. We didn't want a place with a dumbed-down "special menu," or an all you can drink entry-fee crowd fest. Cork was a great choice. The regular menu was in place, servers did a great job, the vibe was upbeat and lively but not aggressively celebratory and the food was good. Favorites were the duck salami off the charcuterie menu, the steak with tiny potatoes and something green (sorry that I can't remember the specifics) and the pot de creme dessert. We had some cheeses and the cured kampachi (hope I am right on that), which were fine. The only miss was a serving of Brussels sprouts which were kind of bitter, but that was a minor glitch. What I appreciated most, though, was that we never felt rushed. Tables were turnng, but clearly the staff had done a good job of staggering reservations. It didn't feel like anything but an ordinary night at a popular restaurant, and I mean that in the best possible way.
