jigones

So....did it open? A friend and I have been looking forward to checking it out? Any news?

Love this place. My wife is addicted to the alfajores. While it is overpriced, their dulce de leche is also good.

It has taken me some time to write about our experience at Vidalia (two months ago) but we have a nine month old (I think that is a decent excuse). This is our new go to place when we have people are in town/new friends decide to move down. Not only do they have great food, but also great service. Anyways, Chef Cooper saw us coming in with the baby and brought us in through the back using the elevator (thanks!). He even brought the little guy some small delights for him to enjoy. The whole staff was great with him! I can't say enough. Just wanted to give them a shout out.

Went there for the first time yesterday. If you are in it for the taste, best pizza in town. I had the basic Margherita and it blew me away. Been to Two Amy's, which in terms of pizza is overrated and Comet, which has gone way down hill. In a blind taste test, this pizza blows them away.

Sorry to disapoint about the lemonaide. We make it with fresh fruit purees and yesterday was toigo cherry-rosemary. The peach everyone likes so much is peach-ginger-lavender. We make the simple syrup by steaping the aromatic into the hot syrup then adding purees, lemon juice.

The Peach Lemonade was also great! It is just that I loved that rosemary ginger lemonade. Plus you sure showed up those mixology friends of yours the last time I had dinner there.

Plenty of stock at the McLean store this morning at about ~10:30 so I picked up a beautiful strip which I grilled tonight. It gave me something to do while giving a wife a break from the little ones and later a helluva dinner.

As for the earlier question regarding how to cook Wagyu, here's what I did with my 20 ouncer.

Built a hot charcoal fire with all coals on one half of the grill.

A half hour or so on the counter at room temperature.

Nothing more than coarse salt and pepper rubbed on.

Seared two minutes per side over the coals then rotated the grill grate to the cool side and covered for 3.

Rested for a few minutes.

Basically not much different than any other steak but making sure to err heavily on the rare side though I did notice much more fat melting to the fire causing some pretty awesome flareups. Very happy with the results and I wouldn't pay $45/lb for it but at these prices it felt like a steal.

We made a crazy meal from these. They were awesome!!!!

So dry. So stick, stick, sticking to their shells. So...off. So not something you can really send back or bring up, but rather something you can pick at and try to be happy with the many, many things you have to be happy about. So, so sad.

We had dinner there a couple of weeks ago. While mine were actually perfectly cooked, they lacked a little flavor. Nothing to complain about, but I have had better at Brasserie Beck and Bistro De Coin. However, for the price it was a great value. The special, which was tongue over a Portabelo mushroom was amazing.

I have visited Brussels many many times and my two major complains about Belga are....

1. When I think of Belgian Fries, I think of potatoes wedges with the skin on. These were string cut french fries. I was utterly disappointed. I still dream about the fries stand across from their version of the treasury building.

2. They should not serve a waffle which is not representative of a Belgian waffle (those delicious waffles packed with sugar and covered in chocolate) which you can find at just about any stand in Brussels.

However, when I take everything into account (including the great atmosphere and awesome appetizers), I will be going back to try more items on the menu.

We had at RTC a couple of months ago with a friend who was visiting. I wanted to check out what all the buzz was about. I have to say that it is justified. The steaks were perfectly cooked and the sherry sauce was brilliant. I am normally very critical of most steak houses, but there is nothing to complain about here. If you want a good steak, this is the place to go.

Took a bunch of coworkers to Vidalia for lunch. I will have to start by saying that I am biased because I already love this place. Oddly, I had never been there for lunch. IMO it is the best value in town (the butter rolls are worth the lunch by themselves!) One note of disappointment is that they were not serving the ginger and rosemary lemonade.

As for lunch, I started with the seasonal carpaccio, which was not only delicious but also beautifully presented (it all was). It melted in my mouth, was cut perfectly and the flavors play with your senses. For the entree I had the Shenandoah lamb tenderloin, it was cooked medium rare and once again it melted in my mouth. The goat cheese emulsion was orgasmic. Mississippi Mud for dessert completed the perfect meal. Another great meal at Vidalia, Gracias!

We have been out of commission for some time with the new house and baby. So about one month ago we got brave and went out with the baby! We gave him some formula, changed him and got him napping. This gave us about two hours to get to a place and eat. So we headed to Dino's, one of our old favorites. I have to say that Dean and the staff were AWESOME. They are very kid friendly and we will be making a trip back very soon.

As for the meal, it was just what we needed. We had meatballs to start. I have to say that those are some of best meatballs I have had in a long time and would love to try them at home. The boar pasta was succulent and just as good as always. My wife had the chicken, she said it was good but could not finish (that is a huge dish/love the olives in it)- makes for a great chicken sandwich the next day. For desert we had the cheese plate which as most people know, they do an A+ with.

Thanks for a great dinner Dean!

We to Bistro Bis for dinner with friends last night for RW. We had a great time and food was great with one small exception.

Tuna Salade Niçoise: This is a delicate dish and could have been my favorite of the evening, but the Tarte au Citron was unbelievable. The anchovy-red wine vinaigrette was phenomenal.

Duck Confit Façon Tarbais: The duck was great and just fell of the bone. However, white beans were undercooked for my taste. Someone please let me know if that is normal.

The $25 lunch prix fixe remains, imho, one of the best lunch values in the city. Today's fare was well executed and the service was very attentive. I visit CP maybe a couple of times a year and I swear each time they make me feel like a regular from the time I call to see if a table is available (usually about 15 minutes before I plan to arrive), to when I first walk through the door, and throughout the meal. Maybe it is their practice of referring to you by your name when addressing you that makes the service appear so personal. An easy touch, but highly effective. The kitchen was a tad slow, perhaps due to what looked like several private parties being held in the side rooms.

On my plate today:

Organic baby beets, cooked what may best be described as al dente, drizzled with olive oil and served alongside a salad mixed with small orange slices and topped with shaved aged goat cheese;

Pan roasted cobia atop a crispy mushroom risotto; and

Vanilla cheescake topped with macerated strawberries.

I have to agree. After the meal the wife and I had, I will add it to my regular rotation. The only issue I had with my meal was the lackluster desert (cinnamon spiced cake). I just do not understand why a restaurant that puts out such a wonderful meal does not finish it off with a great desert!!! The beet salad and scallops were amazing. The service was specular. I will certainly go back.

Hello,

Any recommendations for a rehearsal dinner location in/near Penn Quarter and/or Chinatown for ~40 people? Our first choice was Brasserie Beck, but the private room isn't big enough. Our reception will be at the Hotel Monaco, so Poste is out as well.

Any leads/recommendations would be greatly appreciated!

I would tell you that we had ours at the Oval Room and they blew our mind with the quality of the food and service.

What a yummy evening! The flavorful strip steak - cooked and seasoned to perfection - not as easy as it sounds. Quite sure I could have eaten everyone's portion of the lobster w/cherries and still wanted more. But the real show stopper for me was the pastrami cured kanpachi with mustard, tomato jam and caraway. So creative and so freakin' delicious - I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted another one on rye to go!

Kudos to Chef Conte and the entire staff at the Oval Room for a great meal.

Since we were going to be out of town the night of the DR event, we went the night before. As always, the Oval Room never ceases to amaze me. Anyone who has not been, is doing themselves a disservice. To the meal. I had the caramelized beef strip steak, which was delicious and the carrots with tarragon sauce were so good that I would have paid just to eat them. The pastrami cured kanpachi is definitely worth many visits. Also tried the chilled cucumber soup, which was great. Though its not for individuals who can not do spicy foods. As everyone should know, the deserts are a must, because frankly, its tough to find much better in DC. Anyways, I had the blueberry tart pie for desert with some coffee and I have to say, it was the best blueberry tart pie I have ever had. Overall, the meals is was as close to orgasmic as it gets. Keep up the good work and we will see you Monday!

Just had a wonderful dinner at Ceiba tonight. I started with the black bean soup, the ham and cheese croquetta made it delicious. Then came the grilled pork tenderloin which really flirted with the taste palettes. The mocha chocolate cake left something to be desired, but the key lime pie was excellent.

The wait staff are very attentive and wonderful. Will go back again very soon. It made for a very romantic wonderful dinner.

We had an absolutely fabulous meal at Cork two Sundays back. The only negative thing to note is that we stuffed ourselves too much and I was hurting the rest of the night. We ordered most of the hot items on the menu. The sauteed wild mushrooms had a great texture and really kicked off a great meal. The Pan roasted organic chicken was cooked wonderfully and had a lot of flavor...nice and juicy. And some might kill me, but the have the best fries in town, which by the way.....go great with the mussels. The calamari were alright but lacked a little flavor, but everything recovered well with the chicken liver bruschetta. I could go on for awhile, but I have to get to ceiba.

The wine selection is eclectic, wonderful and gives visitors a taste of many varietals that just hit the right notes.

P.S. The staff is wonderful and informative.

KUDOS TO CORK and thank god you are right around the corner.

The food at RH has as much resemblance to a true Russian fare as average American Tex-Mex to true Mexican cooking. Good, yes, authentically Russian, nyet.

All I can say is I love the drinks and the sofas......but I can not for the life of me remember what the food tastes like. I blame the vodka.

Man, I used to LOVE this place. Those fries were great for totally unpretentious childhood eating mouth-stuffing. IIRC, they used to have pizza for something like $3 and the dogs were pretty good.

You all are trying to kill the poor guy. LOL The "O", Peerrmantiesnthat.... are only for us yinzers.

Try the Ostrich burger at the Sharps Edge with some good old Belgian Brews.

Upgraded to bold.

What does upgraded to bold mean?

I too have a Clyde's softspot. While I was at AU the one in Friendship Heights used to have a ridiculous special Thursday nights after 10 at the downstairs bar - 2 dollar pints, and a crab cake sandwich with french fries and coleslaw for 6 dollars. This one summer I went there almost every Thursday night. I was trying to scratch together enough money to be able to register for the fall so I was doing under the table construction work for my rugby coach (who still probably owes me a grand), living on an old couch in the chapter room of my friend's fraternity, sneaking into the residence halls amidst a group of summer interns to shower, and sustaining myself by way of pasta or cashing in one of the 200 or so fully stamped subway club cards I had (don't ask). Anyways I would look forward to Thursday all week because I would always hold back just enough for a crab cake sandwich and a few beers. Maybe my taste was a bit off due to the context, but I remember those crab cakes being really freaking good.

Meet my wife at this Clyde's. However, I thought that their burgers, chicken sandwich and crab cakes were some of the best in town before that point. WAY BETTER THEN FIVE GUYS EVER PUT OUT! Please don't compare. Of course, I have never been to the original five guys. I don't know why, but do enjoy eating at the Old Ebbitt (plus they have some of the best Guinness in town.)

I think people just hold it against them that its a chain.....

This is nonsense. Rob Weland is one of the most talented and dedicated chefs in all of Washington.

Don, if you would have tried the dishes and combinations that I tried last night, you would feel the same way. There is no excuse for that at the level of restaurant this purports itself to be. Absolutely nothing was well made. My wife and I along with our friends are still angry and how bad the food was. I have had bad food, but this topped it. My tuna was almost inedible. At that price point , have had some fabolous meals in DC. Maybe he let someone else put the menu together, because I did taste talent or dedication in any of the dishes. The toughness of the Hanger Steak and lack of taste is amateur. I have four people who love good food and same restaurant you do saying the same thing.

What were the weeds? Ramps?

A miniscule amount of ramps and some other herbs/flowers....

What has always annoyed me about this restaurant is the inconsistency. One day the pork taco will be a beautifully cooked shreds of flavorful strands of pork, other days it will be dried out and flavorless, or some of the yucca fries will be cooked to perfection while others in the same batch are mushy and unappetizing.

A case in point was my lunch today, the chicken taco was amazing, the meat was juicy and seasoned just right, and not a touch of grease to be found. Then came the pork taco, it was not dried out, but it was so overly salted that the two bites I took actually hurt my mouth. I hoped after the first that it was just from an aberrant piece of meat, but I took my second bite from the other side, and it was just as painful. The Chorizo and cheese taco shed enough grease to fill one of their little sauce cups half way (sorry Jamie, but this was a horrid glut of chorizo oil), this taco suffered from the same saltiness but to a less degree, but that could have been because most of it was lost in the grease at the bottom of the brown container. The yucca fries that can be a standout, offered only a few bites of pleasure, three of them contained fibers inside of them that were as hard as toothpicks and as mentioned above some were nicely fried while others were not, I even had one that was well fried at one end, and the other end it was bland and mushy.

This review is spot on. I do have to say, that the "aguas" that they have are delicious all the time!

Well, I just got back from Poste. If my dinner had been $25 dollars, instead of $60, I would have been ok with it. For $60 or a little over, I can get a nice meal at Palena, Oval Room, Komi, etc.... Oh and to top it all off, they ran out of their special by 8PM. Terrible.

Service- A

Ambiance-A+

My meal- F------

Appts- I had the softshell crab- it was literally a small softshell crab with some weeds on top and overcooked!

Main Course- The tuna on top of a mashed potatoes with more weeds. The tuna was large but dreadful. The bottom of it was bright bright red/fusia and very tough (I have cooked and eaten lots of tuna and never seen anything like it.) I did not send it back because I had already eaten over half of it (due to the way I cut the tuna, I did not reach the bottom until I was well along) When I asked it this was normal, the waitress said yes. My friend had the same dish, and it did not have anything remotely like that. Both tasted like nothing. The mashed potatoes were ok, but tasted like they were out of a box. OHHHH I forgot, the red wine poached egg on top ....damn, I wish I did not remember, I am about to yak. This combination should be illegal.

Needless to say, my meal ended there.

Friend #1 meal- F-----

The hanger steak- Small, extremly tough and not properly seasoned. I had to chew on a small piece for about 2 minutes before I could eat it. They missed the mark on this one by a long shot.

Wife's meal- F--

Chicken- Well seasoned, but extremely dry. She loves chicken and could not finish it. She had the liver pate/foi grass (however you spell it) and it was just plain disgusting- they added a hint of lemon to it and it just was not right. You can get the same thing at Palena-WAY BETTER, for 4 dollars less.

Friend #2- F------

Had the same thing I did.

Overall I am really mad that I spent $120 (including wife) on this meal. I really do feel like I was robbed.

P.s. I really wanted to love this place since one of my good friends is one of the cooks. I have to talk to him about this.