dcandohio
-
Posts
1,173 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
80
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Articles
Dining Guide
Everything posted by dcandohio
-
I couldn't find a topic on SunDeVich. The sandwiches represent global cuisine with really fresh and imaginative ingredients. Healthy, too. Except for a caprese, the is no cheese and no mayo. We had the Athens, with medium rare grilled lamb, and the Istanbul, with ground beef and lamb. The two sandwiches had similar flavor profiles, so I can't comment on the depth of the menu, but these were killer. Fabulous baguette style bread with a good chew, high quality ingredients. The sandwiches are huge. Half would be plenty, except they were so yummy we both happily devoured the entire thing. Good soda selection. There are two smallish communal tables but takeout seems to be the choice for many. If you are in the area, you must try this cute and appealing place. -
Returned last night after our less than stellar experience in the summer. I think that we definitely had the B team on our firat visit, because last evening's experience was lovely. Sat at the bar, which makes for both great service and excellent people watching. I arrived just in time to take advantage of the $8 quartino happy hour deal, a fact that I happily flaunted to my partner who had to work till 6. she got her revenge shortly when the bartender topped off her wine so thst we both had similar amounts remaining when our starters arrived. Very thoughtful. I started with the octopus from the starter menu. I don't often order shellfish cuz partner is allergic and so we can't share to compare, but last night I couldn't resist. Oh, my. Perfectly grilled, tender tentacle sections over melty red peppers in a sauce that might have been tomato based. It was zesty, but did not overwhelm the fish. This ws a generous portion and would be perfect for a light dinner with a salad. But I had travelled yesterday, endured a turbulent flight with no beverage service, and I wanted pasta. So I got the half order of buccatini. I can't get the menu to load ao I can list the ingredients, but there were really flavorful tomatoes, a smoked meat of some sort, and a creamy cheese blended in. Just perfect comfort food, and a half order was very satisfying. My partner got the lasagna amd the miserly taste I wrangled from her was fabulous. She enjoyed it and was very pleased that her original order of the bolognese was not available. Seriously, she wouldn't give me a second bite, she loved it so much. I want to go back and order this for myself.
-
Really, the restaurants begin just north of Thomas Circle or N St, so starting at P sort of leaves out Thaitanic, Ghana Cafe, Popeye's ( ha ha...no, really) and even Churchkey /Birch and Barley. And really, are the few blocks north of U, containing Busboys and Poets, the Gas station sandwich place, Eatonville, etc. Part of 14th, or the U street corridor? too far south to be Columbua Heights...So why limit the identification to just between U and P? even so, I like UP, because then it'll morph into "the EWE PEE," you know, like Miami Univesity is "THE EWE." Then it will either create fond associations for folks from Northern Michigan, or juvenile giggles from immature people like me.
-
Another interesting point is that for what I spend on a glass or two of wine, a non-drinker might easily spend on dessert and coffee. I am not a dessert person. I don't much care for sweets and even decaf at night makes me jittery. Does anyone get attitude for passing on dessert? I haven't experienced that. The wine decision is made early in the meal, while the dessert/coffee decision is made much later. So being snarky or dismissive to a non-drinker might be shooting yourself in the foot, if that diner decides to forego dessert in light of snotty service. A server just shouldn't decide at the start of service that any particular table will or won't generate good income unless that server has repeated experience with the patrons at that table. This entire discussion really highlights why we like to eat at the bar of many of the restaurants we frequent. The expectations of the bar staff seem far more accommodating and there's seldom bad service because of what you do (or don't) order.
-
Another aspect of the same observation...when two women go out the servers often assume that you won't order alcohol, and you get that "can I serve you an iced tea or sparkling water?" question with a side of dismissiveness (ok, that's not a word but I'm working on a bad night's sleep). Frequently, we are asked if we are ready to order food at exactly the same time the "beverage" order is taken. Sometimes, even in high-end places, we don't get a wine list. We almost ALWAYS order wine. When we ask for a wine list, the server's attitude definitely changes. Everything becomes much more relaxed and customer-centric. What I hate is the "will you be having something other than tap water?" question. Why not just ask, "Can I bring you something else to drink?" Or better, "Would you like to see a drink menu?" These days, many places have highly inventive non-alcoholic drinks but if I don't see the drink menu I don't know they're available.
-
I don't post as frequently as others because I am in DC part time but this forum keeps me emotionally connected to DC. The forum is like being invited to the really exclusive party with all the coolest people, and when you get there, all nervous and geeky and awkward, you realize that everyone is friendly and approachable and just plain nice. And when that happens, you KNOW the host is a gracious and kind person. I check in to DR.com almost daily, and it always provides me with something that makes me feel more well informed, and in the reflected glory of those who are so much more eloquent and plugged in, I also feel sort of cool. So thanks in return. i am certain there are many more like me in the crowd.
-
ahem...GO BUCKEYES!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
In yet another instance of web sites being out of date...Lost Society's web site menu listed a flank steak with béarnaise. I love flank steak. I love béarnaise. I thought about the promse of flank steak all day Friday, as I endured airport security, rush hour traffic, the heat...and arrived to Lost Society to find that flank steak is not on the menu. Sad face. Instead I ordered a bone-in ribeye with morel sauce, which was slightly over charred, slightly overcooked and lacking in any morel flavor. Actually, the steak itself wasn't delicious. It needed salt, and I rarely feel the need to salt food in restaurants. There WAs a sauce on top. It was visible. It just had no flavor. The steak was huge, way too much food for me. I took most of it home, where I sliced it and warmed it with sofrito for sandwiches. At $32, the price was not outrageous, but there are so many competitors for steak and this was not a winner. +1 had the filet, which did not sport any of the promised compound butter. She felt hers was slightly undercooked. The zucchini ribbons were not described as fried. Our bad for not asking, as I was envisioning sautéed strips of zucchini. The ribbon portion was also huge, but the vegetable suffered from a dull coating and oil that might have been too cool. The ribbons were undercooked in places. On the plus side, the staff couldn't have been more eager. Our shared salad was artfully presented on two plates, which was nice as some places don't bother and force you to try to do the sharing at the table without making a mess. servers checked on us frequently, water glasses were filled, dessert was offered in a timely fashion, the check was offered right when we were about to request it...the entire staff seemed to really care. The space is lovely. Kudos to the decorator and designer who left those beautiful soaring windows uncovered. The light in the room is great (at leat at 7 p.m. on. summer evening). The bar areas are huge and inviting. The crowd was diverse with a positive energy that I enjoyed. I was not responsible for increasing the average age in the room, nor did I feel that the place was too hip. It's just a great, welcoming space where I would eagerly return for a drink or several. The outdoor space on the third floor is awesome. Good luck finding a place to sit if you arrive at prime time. It was packed with lucky people who were enjoying the views of the bustle of the 14th and U intersection while imbibing.
-
This did not happen in DC...my +1 is allergic to shellfish. We were in a pan-Asian place and she asked whether a menu item had shellfish. The server said no. When the dish arrived, it contained shrimp. She flagged the server and pointed out the shrimp saying, "Sorry, but I mentioned that I can't eat shellfish." The server got a confused look and said, "there are no shells in there at all." Needless to says, that place did not last.
-
Second that...but the sardine banh mi as a lunch special was swoon-worthy.
-
I looked at the menu and do hope this place can deliver. But the New Orleans in me just cringes at $16 for a plate of red beans with sausage. ThIs is work day, working people food. It should be cheap.
-
As a part time SW resident I am thrilled to have this restaurant in the neighborhood. Dropped in Thursday for a drink and last night for dinner. The space, as noted above, IS beautiful. It has a swanky, lounge vibe that is inviting. Our service at 9:00 last night, after watching some of the Kastles matches, was smooth. The place was about half full and there seemed to be plenty of staff. I think that ultimately there will be some tweaking of the menu. For example, +1 ordered the watermelon salad. This was an impossibly precious serving of four small watermelon chunks. I can't remember the price...$8, maybe? Pretty, but a very poor value. By contrast, my goat cheese stuffed zucchini, served on slices of toasted baguette, was tasty and filling for about the same price. We split the burger, which was really good. It had a good brioche bun, bacon, cheese and some grilled and raw onions. I wouldn't compare it with Hell Burger, but as $12 burgers go, I would definitelely order this again. It was served with nicely crisp fries (frozen, probably). I think the staff will monitor what sells and what doesn't and will adjust. Also, Station 4 should implement a happy hour. People expect it, and with so many workers in that area, and residents coming off the metro after work, a happy hour seems like a no brainer. When we bought our place here we never would have envisioned walking to Kastles matches, past the incomparably impressive Arena Stage, and returning to a nice meal with wine in a lovely space. Thanks to the businesses who are recognizing the potential value of the Southwest waterfront!
-
Our experience Saturday was decidedly mixed. The space is gorgeous, and the noise level is perfect for quiet conversation. But I think the A team had left for vacation. We were seated promptly for a 715 reservation, but we waited a while for menus. Then, after receiving menus, we waited a while for further service. Once got the menus, and began to negotiate our choices, we asked for the much discussed (on this board) sommelier. Our server said, "I can help you." My +1 said that she was eager to talk to the sommelier. I am not sure if the person who came over was a sommelier. He was dressed the same as the waiters. He did make suggestions and we took one, which was fine, But the same person took our order, delivered food, cleared our table...so I'm not entirely sure we were guided by a sommelier. Then, after we ordered, the pacing was lightening fast. Our first course arrived mere nanoseconds after we ordered. Our second course arrived while we were still eating our first course. The server looked flummoxed at first, and we were stunned, but there was a whole fish sitting there and I just didn't know if sending it back would ruin it, or if it would be wasted...so we just accepted it. I know, you'll say we should have asked for a manager, or something, but our experience with the "sommelier" didn't encourage us, and it didn't seem as if other tables were having any more leisurely experiences. After we ate, and perused the dessert menu, we politely turned down dessert, saying we were full. Then we waited, and waited, and waited, for the opportunity to ask for a check. We finished the wine, drank all the water, visited the loo, looked around expectantly...seriously, more time was required for procurement of the check than we spent arriving, ordering and eating. The food was uneven. Starters, pasta and side trumped the main, the aforementioned whole sole. The sole was completely unseasoned. It was plain to the point of boring. The unseasonal special of pasta bolognese was delicious. Burrata and squash blossom/mozzarella fritters were both fine. The unexpected winner was the side dish of summer corn with tomatoes and basil. I don't get the hype. it's possible we had an off night. But a place like that, under the spotlight can't really have too many bad nights. I really wanted to love it, and I couldn't find any reason to love it.
-
Always had good experiences, especially for business lunches. Loved the patio. Good happy hour, too. It's too bad it couldn't workout for everyone.
-
Couldn't find a topic on Ethiopic. I'm no expert, and I was underwhelmed by my visit to Etete a few years ago so I haven't ventured back to Ethiopian food since then. We almost didn't go in Sunday evening because the place looked boarded up, but apparently they are doing construction which will create outdoor space. It's a small, plain space, with super-friendly staff. We started with the bouticha - mashed chick peas with lots of jalapeno, onion, lemon, spices...it was delicious. Very filling. Then we shared the signature shiro and Awaze tibs. The tibs were very spicy, with better quality beef than I remembered from Etete. The shiro was milder, but still plenty flavorful. I don't know if this is authentic, but I liked it very much. +1, who is not fond of injera (and therefore never encourages experimentation with Ethiopian) said she liked Ethiopic's version well enough to agree to return. I hope that all the places on H street hang in through the rest of the construction. There's so much to like on H Street. Curious to hear from those of you who know the cuisine better than I do. How do you rate it relative to the other choices in DC?
-
We lucked into two seats Saturday right after the derby without a reservation. The guacamole was great - we asked for "spicy" and El Centro is not afraid of the heat. Better than the versions at Cafe Atlantico and Oyamel. I wasn't feeling adventurous so I had the queso enchiladas. The salsa verde was fresh and tart, providing a nice contrast to the cheese. I tasted +1's chie relleno, which was delicious. She did say she thought it was light on the beef, but otherwise very much enjoyed it. There's a tricky bottle neck by the hostess stand - servers are bringing out trays of food right where the servers are leading guests to tables. I watched servers trying to get past guests and thought "this is a disaster waiting to happen." If you go, please watch out for the servers until you are safely seated!
-
Agree on all points. In the South, you will be called honey, sweetie, sugar and/or darling. It's regional, and I find it charming. One thing that I detest, though, is when the server refers to two or more women dining together as "girls," as in, "Would you girls like something to drink?" I get that far too frequently, I've also been called "young lady," which is ridiculous, since I haven't been young by any metric for a very, very long time. If servers thinksthey are flattering by using "girls" or "young ladies" to address women "of a certain age," they are just wrong.
-
Lunch at the bar Monday was my first visit since Mike Isabella departed. The menu was edited and prices seem to have crept to the point that I questioned the "value" of small plates. Service at the bar, as always, is efficient and friendly. Only shared three dishes: roasted cauliflower (delicious, but not a large portion for $8), the chicken shishtwook (fine, also small) and the grilled octopus. The bartender recommended the octopus as the signature dish. The meat was grilled crisp, and rendered a bit dry. It was still very tasty. But, for $12, it was maybe 8 small pieces - and the puree underneath is not enough to boost this to "filling" status. Of course, I enjoyed the hot bread with the oil in large quantities. My last bar lunch at Jaleo had me thinking "this is a pretty good value for the money," and I had the opposite feeling at Zaytinya. I still love the bar, and the bright dining room, and the wonderful patio, but I don't think this place will lure me back soon as there are just too many other choices in the area and/or at the price point.
-
I couldn't find a thread on Standard, the new "BBQ" place on 14th in the former garden store. I put BBQ in quotes because even though pulled pork and brisket sandwiches are served, it comes across more as a sandwich place than a true BBQ place. That's not a bad thing. There's a tiny indoor space with the kitchen, a few bar stools and the bathroom. The real action is outside, with picnic tables and table service. The brisket sandwich was pretty decent - the meat was juicy and salty and tender, but I don't know if BBQ purists will really rank it highly as BBQ. No worries. This is an excellent place to spend an hour or so on a sunny day. The beer list is interesting enough, the sandwiches are tasty, the onion rings are crisp and the servers were friendly. The price is right, too. $8 for a big sandwich, which is great for that neighborhood. The vibe is relaxed, like hanging out in a good friend's back yard. I think it's a great addition to the area.
-
Except for the times that the train arrivals occur in no relation to the posted wait times. I recently stood on the platorm mid-evening at Dupont Circle for over 30 minutes while the "next train" indicator said "12 minutes." It seems to happen most often on the red line. After eating in CP, we often walk down to Dupont to work off our meal, thinking that we'll catch the metro, but almost always default to a cab to avoid spending a half hour underground cooling our heels.
-
Thought I should update my views from Sunday's visit after fairly negative earlier review. We arrived before the brunch crowds, were seated outside in the sun, and had a delightful experience, in contrast to my previous experience on Barracks Row. The service was friendly and prompt, but not rushed. The four plates we shared (feta whipped with jalapeno, asparagus, bolognese and spicy sausages) were good to great. The bolognese, especially, hit the spot. Nice to know that our first experience is not the norm at Cava.
-
I grew up in New Orleans with a mama who is an awesome cook, and I am naturally skeptical about New Orleans/Cajun/Creole restaurants outside of Louisiana. Too often "Cajun" is interpreted as lots of salt and cayenne, and rarely is creole interpreted at all. So we hit up Bayou on Penn for lunch Saturday with open minds and came away happy. First of all, they had Abita Strawberry in bottles. Points for that. We sat outside on the small patio which is very pleasant. The downstairs doesn't scream "hey we're trying to fake New Orleans" and I didn't experience the music scene so I can't comment. Started with fried green tomatoes, which is NOT a classic New Orleans or Cajun dish (more like Mississippi or Alabama southern). The tomatoes came topped with a set of fancy greens and goat cheese and rested on remoulade. All in all, too much "stuff" for me. The cup of gumbo was OK - very light colored which signals that the roux was not cooked properly. Nevertheless, it had lots of shrimp and crab (though none of the promised andouille) and would pass muster at a second-tier place in the south. The oysters Rockerfeller were very tasty, but there were more a combination of Bienville/Rockerfeller than just Rockerfeller. The oysters were covered with a mix of greens (spinach, I think), parmesean, cream, bread crumbs and well browned. I would order this again. The real winner was the catfish poboy, dressed (lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickle). Very well executed - bread lightly toasted for structural integrity, fresh fish with a cornmeal coating fried crispy but not dry, shredded lettuce (in New Orleans we SHRED our lettuce. Leaf stuff is too slippery), the right amount of mayo...the whole thing just worked very well and this would complete at any neighborhood joint in New Orleans. The entrees didn't seem very tempting but who cares after that po-boy? I would happily return for the other poboy choices and a cold Abita. I saw a bloody mary served with a picked okra, so that would tempt me too!
-
We went last night amid the early NCAA March madness - all those Bucknell fans were cheerfully spending money here in the District! Here are the good things about Hill Country. They take reservations, so we breezed in even though it was a mob scene at 6:30. They can easily handle large groups. There are numerous large tables and the paying system makes it easy for everyone to be responsibile for his/her own check (think Vapiano's system, sort of). The staff was very pleasant and unruffled even though it was kind of crazy. The lean brisket, as described above, is still juicy and to my tastes, is mighty delicious. The collard greens were flavored with a lot of bacon, and who doesn't love that? Servings for sides are huge - too much for the average person, I think. I would like to get half orders of two sides rather than a large portion of just one with the combo specials. Here are the negatives from my view. At 6:30 the place was so loud we had to shout across a two-top. Seriously, I had a headache from the noise when we left. The music was blaring and all those hard surfaces create a lot of clatter. The ordering system is highly self-service, as described above. It's very quick to get food, but if you want to relax and be doted on, this is not the place! The line to pay was very long. I imagine that this will become the biggest complaint at this place. If you are in a hurry, there's no escape from the cashier line, which was as long as 30 people at some point. It was a very CVS moment, saved, as described above, by the offer of a free cookie while waiting. Finally, I tasted some of the +1's chicken and it just wasn't very good - an overly sweet taste from a brine or rub completely permeated the meat, overpowering any smoke or poultry flavor. I realize chicken might not be the best choice here, but +1 is a big chicken fan and she was disappointed. The noise factor and the highly self-serve nature of the place means that I am far more likely to take out (a pound of brisket for picnic sandwiches? Yes, please!) than dine in. I did see a yummy looking sandwich headed to the bar, and I don't think it was available on the main menu, so I might try the bar dining experience at an off time when it isn't so noisy.
-
My experience last night was pleasant and mostly positive. I liked sitting at the grill counter and watching the action. The staff was friendly and efficient. Much of what we ordered (11 plates + gelato + beer and sake) was good, especially all the vegetable preparations. This would be a great place for a group with mixed tastes, or for a first date, or with people you don't know well - there's something for everyone. At first I was critical of the portion size and believed I would net a poor value outcome, but in the end, we got quite a lot of food, and left very full, for $75 before tip. That included 3 beers, 1 sake and the 11 plates plus dessert. So comparing with a lot of the places we eat at regularly, this was a fair value. There were some negatives. I didn't like the grilled rice ball, and I suspect this is an acquired taste. The chicken skewers (scallion and wasabe) were kind of boring. The plates came at us too quickly. In hindsight, we should have only ordered a few at a time - and I blame myself for not realizing that by writing our entire order at once (you enter quantities of desired items on a pre-printed slip) I didn't give us the chance to slow down the pace. It also seemed that some of the chefs weren't very assiduous about food handling - using bare hands to skewer several kinds of proteins without gloves or without washing in between. I know not all the items are raw when handled by the chefs, and I'm sure the place lives up to whatever standards of cleanliness are imposed by the local laws. It just seemed like gloves or washing would have been safer. I would definitely return for a drink and several plates of things I didn't try on this visit.
-
Restaurants have outdated web sites, with menus that are no longer available, incorrect hours of operation, specials that are no longer honored...I think that sometimes actually informing people of changes falls through the cracks because so much time goes into *making* substantive change. True, Taylor should have removed references to the supplier when the supplier was no longer used. Menus should have been updated. But Taylor is hardly the only perpetrator of these kinds of inaccuracies. I'm going to cut them some slack.
