LoganCircle

I've been a detractor of Cakelove in the past, mainly because of the lardlike taste of the chilled buttercream frosting. After taking Mr. Brown's recommendation to let their cupcakes come up to room temperature, I will admit that they are at least 2 or 3 times better than I remember, but not 10,000 times better.

Barbara, Mr. Barbara, Porcupine and I shared 5 cupcakes and one slice of cake. The cake was vanilla on chocolate and the cupcakes were vanilla with vanilla frosting, chocolate with orange frosting, new german chocolate, and two others that I didn't sample.

I ordered the vanilla-on-vanilla and New German Chocolate cupcakes along with the sweetest vanilla latte ever served. I hadn't eaten anything all day so waiting for the cupcakes to thaw was torturous. I was served the cakes at 1:00pm, waited until 1:20 to take my first bites, and then took my second bites around 1:45.

The nitty-gritty

Vanilla-on-Vanilla cupcake:

1:00pm - cold cake, icing appears lard-like and can be etched into in the same manner as clay

1:20 - cake has come up to room temperature and is dense but good, icing has warmed slightly and demonstrates more fluff and give when etched in. Icing is overpoweringly buttery and none too appealing.

1:45 - cake same as before but the icing, which is softer and oozey, is now downright good, with the taste of sweetness equally as noticeable as the taste of butter.

New German chocolate cupcake:

1:00 - cold cake, cold but pretty icing with coconut and nuts.

1:20 - cake is room temperature and is dense and extremely dry, icing has thawed more than on the aforementioned cake and is pretty yummy.

1:45 - cake is still dry but the thawed icing is very yummy.

All in all, I left with a better impression of their room-temperature products than I'd started the afternoon with. Still, as Tom S. said, their products are not to my taste. By every indication the marketing genius continues--the group behind me in line was talking to the bakery manager (I think) from across the street, going on about how she'd seen Mr. Brown on the Food Network, etc. The baker made a point to tell her 3 times to eat their products at room temperature. Saying they didn't have time to wait for something to heat up to an acceptable warmth, they split a piece of cheesecake instead. They were the realization of an issue that has been raised here repeatedly: who can buy a cupcake or slice of cake in a cafe and wait more than half an hour to eat it as it should be eaten?

My photography skills are poopy, but I took a couple of photos during the trial. I etched the times of service and first tasting into the icing on the vanilla-on-vanilla cupcake. I hoped that would allow one to see the differences in texture. I'm not sure I succeeded.

1:00pm

1:20pm

At $3.30 per cupcake, there's a lot of money in here .

J'adore Ooohhs & Aahhs!

Fried chicken, cabbage, mac-n-cheese, and a medium iced tea for $16.17. It feeds me twice, 3x if you're dainty.

Viridian's menu on Friday, November 11th:

My mother would FALL OUT if she knew I'd volunteered for manual labor.

Come join us!

At second glance, Weds wont work...maybe some other time.

How about one oc'clock?  Barbara, did I meet you at the 2941 dinner?  LoganCircle, how will I know you?

1:00 works for me.

I'll be the one with the giant post-Oohhs and Aahhs grin . You can't miss me - 6'6", young looking, in jeans, a black hoodie, and a black jacket.

Did they change the corn chowder?  Is it served warm now?

Warm, with potato foam and chive oil. I liked it.

I was reminded today of how wonderful it is to have available the prix fixe lunch option at CPS. I had the sweet yellow corn chowder, the flatiron steak, the berry shortcake, and a very affordable $9 wine pairing (a chardonnay and cab). All items met expectations and a few tastes left a mark--the tarragon cream in the shortcake plays brilliantly off the berry sorbet and the parmesan and herb gnocchi ordered for the table were rich and decadent without being overly weighty.

On too many occasions, including today, I change my order from fish to steak. They do fish beautifully; I would do well to remember that.

Me too.

And I vote we call our order in 20 minutes before our arrival so they can heat up to room temperature.

This is off the chain topic, but on the children in restaurants topic (new thread, perhaps?), but this article in the Times yesterday was very interesting.

At Center of a Clash, Rowdy Children in Coffee Shops  

A cafe owner in Chicago put up a sign requesting that children use their indoor voices while in his cafe...which led to a huge backlash among parents in the neighborhood, who felt entitled to bring their rowdy children into his cafe. My impression is that the sign was done in a playful manner (it was placed at kid-level and had paint handprints on it).  It reminds me of a little note that Gillian Clark puts on her menus, asking that parents keep their children under control.

I don't see this owners' actions as anti-child (and neither did the many who wrote letters to the editor today), but apparently these parents did.  I don't have children, and I have no problem with children dining at any restaurant so long as they are appropriately behaved.

I cannot believe the umbrage taken by the quoted mothers. Do they truly believe their disquieting offspring were behaving in proper form and that the proprietor is a Mister Meanie-Pants for asking them to display a modicum of responsibility.

The mom who took the screaming child outside to cool off was the only one who made sense. Personally, I feel like sending Mr. Meanie-Pants $10 for fighting the good fight.

I still eat at Alberto's even though I fractured a molar by chomping down on a small pebble that somehow found its way into (on to?) my pizza.

When it first happened I underestimated the damage to my tooth. A year later, during my first ever visit to an endodontist, she noted during the exam the unusual pattern of decay/destruction in my molar and said that my crown had fallen out. Problem is I'd never had a crown. The only insult I've ever had was the Alberto's one. She said it sounded like the culprit.

My (laziness induced) unwillingness to walk back from Dupont Circle to the store and show them the rock ended up costing me about $2800. Well, who can say how they would've responded, so maybe not..

The meunu sounds incredible and the images of the restaurant quite seductive. Dinner could be a little pricey- but they do offer a "sunset menu" that is more reasonable for a midweek whim-That menu is offered between 5:30- 7. Anyone interested in joining me- let me know

I'm game. I say we gather a small party and do the Sunset menu next week. From Oya's website:

SUNSET MENU - $30

Monday - Saturday

5:30pm - 7:00pm

FIRST, choice of:

Warm Yellow Tomato Soup

hamachi | soy

Winter Green Salad

winterberries | pear | lemon grass

Edamame Risotto

scallop | yellow tomato

ENTREE, choice of:

Loin of Lamb

fennel pureé | mélange vegetable parisienne | coffee cardamom

Scallops

pad tai noodles | hen of the woods

Salmon

black beans | glass noodles | baby bok choy

SWEET, choice of:

Apple and Rice Pudding

granny smith sorbet

Meringue Island

banana milk shake | caramel passion fruit sauce

Mango Square

puff pastry | lemon crème | spiced mango

mango lime sorbet

Poached Pear

vanilla ice cream | chocolate sauce

Fresh Seasonal Fruit Plate

crème fraiche

Ice Cream or Sorbet

flavors of the day

Menu subject to change

If dining alone or dining light, I almost always upwardly adjust my tip to account for what I believe to be the income a server loses because of the open chair (or single course) at my table.

In DC this is more of an issue during lunch than at dinner. When you consider that the lunch dining window really only lasts from 11:45 until 2:00 and that servers are likely to get only one turn of the tables, that little bit extra is appreciated. If you're getting a tuna nicoise for $16 and having the $3 iced tea, the server is making considerably less money at your table than at the four-top next to you where each person ordered an $8 glass of wine and the $23 scallops. On a busy day when there is a full turn of a server's section, the lost income from your table might not matter much. But on a slow day, when you have an 14-cover lunch, you better believe it makes a difference. There are a lot of servers who walk away from a lunch shift having made $65.

Believing that a server will treat every patron the same belies the truth that every patron does not reward the server comparably. It is in the server's best interest to maximize her income. What is in the restaurant's best interest, is, of course, quite different. I choose to assuage my guilt by leaving bigger tips or by sitting at the bar. If you don't feel the same way--and there are a lof of people who dont, who will make the arguements that serving single or thrifty diners is "part of the job" or that it "comes with the terrirtory"--then, provided you're not getting inferior service, it's not that big of a deal.

OK then - who would be up for Sodere on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving - the 22nd?

Count me in!

What's the latest with Oya's chef situation?

According to their website, Oya is "now under the culinary direction of Chefs James Stouffer and Jonathan Seningen," one or both of whom came from Le Paradou.

If you dine there for dinner, request service from Brent.

I'm a fan of Busboys and Poets and like how it has positioned itself in the dining, dessert, drinks, and books markets. I've been there four times and have enjoyed pretty good food that was extremely affordable.

On two of my four visits, I was provided service that would not have met my expectations at most other restaurants. At Busboys and Poets, however, I wasn't upset by it. I don't want to say that the quality of service was consistent with the vibe the place is trying to create (part restaurant, part lounge, part coffee shop, all of them very laid back), but I will concede that my expectations were lowered. I felt downright sorry for the server that was taking care of us: on two different occasions parties of 7 or 8 were seated in her section very near us. Each party sat down, looked at the menu, and ordered drinks and cocktails. After their drink orders were taken, each of the tables GOT UP and moved to a different table that they considered more desirable. Never mind that drinks had been taken in a particular order (and the parties re-seated in a different order) and that the two vacated tables had to be cleaned and set up again.

Although I don't know exactly how they were defined, the server sections didn't make sense to me. Our server was covering an awful lot of tables, had tables in different rooms, and had some people who were coming in for full meals and some who were coming in for dessert.

There's definitely a lot going on in a very large space. It's a loud, bustling place and I like the owner's politics. Throw in some decent food at super-reasonable prices and I'll go back again and again.

Have a look at these. I think some are fantastic.

Salads (As entree)

House Salad

Crispy romaine lettuce, avocados, palmitos, red onions, green peppers, pepperoncini, tomatoes, spring onions tossed at your table with olive oil vinaigrette.

$8.95 

La Isabella Salad

Romaine leaves topped with fresh tomatoes, avocado, red pimentos, green and yellow peppers, red onions, glazed pecans, Spanish olives and feta cheese tossed with extra virgin olive oil and vinegar. $8.95 

Sunshine Salad

Avocado, oranges, fresh corn, red & yellow peppers, sundried tomatoes, red onions, glazed walnuts and mix baby lettuce and spinach, tossed with olive oil vinaigrette with a touch of peanut dressing. $9.95 

Fiesta Salad

Romaine lettuce, tomatoes, red onions, olives, green peppers, avocado, pepperoncini and cheese, topped with chicken or beef fajitas, served with our delicious house dressing. $9.95 

Monterey Salad

Marinated chicken, fresh corn, black beans, cheese, tortilla strips, peanuts, tomatoes, baby lettuces, and spinach tossed with our olive oil vinaigrette and a touch of peanut dressing. $9.95 

Brazilian Salad

Grilled chicken marinated, with spinach and baby mix lettuce, avocados, palmitos, tomatoes, cucumber, spring onions, zucchini, olives and parsley, tossed with our delicious olive oil vinaigrette and a touch of peanut dressing. $9.95 

BBQ Ranch Chicken

BBQ chicken, avocado, tomatoes, grilled corn, black beans, cucumbers and romaine lettuce all tossed with our house dressing, topped with crispy fried onions for crunch. $9.95 

La Fernanda Salad

Baby mix lettuce with chicken, red pimientos, green and yellow peppers, apples, red onions, almonds, sunflower seeds, tortilla strips and feta cheese, all tossed with our balsamic vinaigrette. $9.95 

Salmon Salad

Our delicious fresh herb-crusted salmon with baby lettuce, asparagus, red onions, cucumbers, and endive lettuce with our delicious olive oil vinaigrette, and a touch of peanut dressing. $10.95

They, not the Tex-Mex, are the reason to go to Lauriol Plaza.

The Monterey is my favorite.

The front of the house looks to be in order. The window coverings are drawn, the tables are set.

Anyone know anything more?

I second Zengo.

Acadiana, too, has a couple of private dining rooms, the larger of which should meet your needs.

I just returned from a perfect lunch at Oohhs and Aahhs: fried chicken, greens, macaroni & cheese, cornbread, and sweet tea. The fried chicken was piping hot and juicy, the greens were seasoned with peppered vinegar, the mac-n-cheese was ooey and gooey like that of my childhood, the cornbread was moist and sweet, and Oji, the owner, couldn't have been more kind. I told him about DR.com and encouraged him to have a look.

My friend and I were the only customers at 12:30 but the upstairs dining room filled with 7 more patrons just before our departure.

This place deserves to succeed.

They were looking for line cooks as recently as 5 days ago.

The photograph-adorned, all-white interior is inviting but--with a large number of tables placed fairly close to one another--looks like it has the potential to get a little cramped.

I wonder if this will turn into a destination restaurant or a neighborhood one.

ANC 2F and their Community Development Committee are rightfully upset about the tactics employed by Shiloh.

The Vegetate proprietors did everything they should have and are being held up for the most ridiculous of reasons.

In the continuing cupcake trials, Sticky Fingers Bakery, a vegan bake house on 18th St (across from Lauriol Plaza, on the ground level) beats out Cakelove and Reeves.

But for the stubborn bit of cake that remained stuck in the cupcake wrapper, no one would ever guess the product was vegan. The cake was substantial and dense without being dry and the icing was sweet and creamy without being overly soft.

At $1.75 it's a bit more expensive than Reeve's and a lot cheaper than Cakelove. I liked supporting a small, conscientious, local business. I will definitely return.

Zengo knocked it out of the park on Friday night. I could not have been more impressed with dinner and would recommend the venue to anyone in town, to even the most discriminating Rockwellians. I'm still in post-marathon recovery mode but intend to pen a full summary at a later date.

To be brief:

YOU MUST EAT THESE THINGS:

Edamame XO style

Edamame XO style (get a second order)

Angry Zengo Roll

Black Cod (!)

Ginger + Green Tea Ice Cream

YOU WOULD DO WELL TO EAT THESE THINGS:

Thai Chicken Empanadas

Bangkok Ceviche

Chinese style Braised Beef Short Ribs

Achiote Mahi Mahi

I LIKED THESE THINGS TOO:

Churros

Chocolate Layer Cake with Cinnamon Ice Cream

DO NOT ORDER THIS. EVER.

The Tapioca Milkshake creation

Home - 73

Work - 65

my hometown of Dublin, GA - 0 (nearest Starbucks is 49 miles away).