dinwiddie

A couple of years ago we were in New Haven looking on a college visit for the boy. (No not Yale.) As I remember, we found some great pizza while we were there. However, the most intersting meal we had was at a small place behind (and down the alley) from Zinc. I don't remember the name, but they only served small plates, had a decent but not outstanding list of wines by the glass, but was a lot of fun. We haven't been back since the kid decided to go to school somewhere else, but I do remember the pizza.

"100 Best" lists are as always subjective. It certainly helps cement the reputation of a good restaurant, or to give a boost to a relatively unknown restaurant, but in a metropolitian area as large as this, (or NY or LA or Chicago, etc.) there are literally hundreds of really good restaurants that are doing well and have never been on the list. We can argue all we want, but the list is the opinion of a specific magazine and critic(s). I doubt that any of the restaurants on the list don't belong there, but we can also agree that there are many that we think are better that did not make the list. If we look at this list as opposed to the Post's, we will see differences, but different strokes for different folks. This is too large an area for most of us to have eaten an even a majority of the restaurants on the list (hey I'm not likely to schlep over to Virginia to eat, no matter how good the review, unless I'm already there for some other reason, and I'm sure there are folks who feel the same way about MD) and I'm sure that we all have favorites that are in our regular rotation that did not make the list and which we think are just as good or better. I think Il Pizzico is better than many that made the list, and I'd put Urban BBQ ahead of any Pho place when I'm hungry. So bottom line, this is Todd's (et al) list. You can agree, or disagree, but it is just one magazine's opinion. My bottom line, I liked all the restaurants on the list that I've tried (some better than others) and there are restaurants that I really like that did not make the list that I think are better than some that did.

We went last week (Thursday) and didn't have a wait when we showed up at 6:30. As usual the meal was delish. The mushroom risotto was killer and the service, as usual, excellent.

The top 10 1 - Citronelle 2 - CityZen 3 - Komi 4 - Restaurant Eve 5 - Minibar 6 - Inn at Little Washington 7 - Palena 8 - Vidalia 9 - Kinkead's 10 - Central Michael Richard All in all, there were not a lot of suprises. Some of the newcomers to the list were new restaurants (i.e., Central, Brasserie Beck-36, Hook-57, Proof-83, The Source-29, Cafe du Parc-35, etc.) Some of the ones that were dropped, aside from those which closed, appear to be restaurants that made the list because they were good but not fancy, i.e., Joe's Noodle House and Gom Ba Woo. But others of that type stayed, like Bob's Noodle 66 (73) and Bangkok 54 (84). While it may be important to the restaurants, I'm sure we can all find things to quibble about on the list.

I might have to try HEOTB again, since it has been a while for dim sum there. We were disappointed our last couple of time and have been sticking with either New Fortune, which we like, or Silver Fountain which has the advantage of being close to our house.

Alright!! Dueling winelists.

That he did. Much better.

Are the crabcakes fried, or is it possible to get them broiled? And they will have to be pretty darn good to be better than the ones you can get at, of all places, El Napalito in the Plaza del Mercado shopping center.

When my son came home from college for the Thanksgiving holiday, the first place he wanted to go was Prenzy's for spices. It will be interesting now that he is home for a month for winter break, we'll have him do most of the cooking for dinner. You never know what you are going to get for dinner that way. Last I heard, he was planning to make Chicken Masala for dinner tomorrow night.

How can you not love those wings??? When Lee and Dave were first talking about opening a burger place, the one thing I said that they had to make sure carried over from Urban BBQ was the wings.

If anyone was a fan of Mannequin Pis, when Bernard Dehaene sold it, he went to Philadelphia and opened ZoT in the Society Hill neighborhood. The menu is much the same but expanded somewhat, and of course there are still those great mussels and the fantastic list of Belgian beers. --- [Note: Zot closed in November, 2009.]

Unfortunately, what I have in "orphans" would not be to your taste, since they tend to be new world (read Santa Rita Hills) Pinot Noirs.

Eight of us from our local wine group, the DC Crí¼, had a dinner at Beck's on November 16th. We couldn't have been treated better. They gave us the Chef's table and we had a great view into the kitchen. The food was fantastic. We started by sharing a bunch of appetizers. We ordered the carcuterie plate (wonderful country pate included), the roulade of duck confit and pomme puree, steak tartar, pork belly and rice beans, (and maybe one more?) Entrees around the table (which everyone was sharing bites of back and forth) included the Beef Carbonnade, several orders of the Grilled Beefsteak with Green Peppercorns, Cognac Sauce and Frites (oh my what wonderful frites) an absolutely to die for Black Cod, and the Lamb Shank (huge) with white beans. Desserts included the bread pudding (huge, rich and just too much to finish) the Belgian waffle with apple and cream, an absolutely stunning citrus and cilantro sorbet, and the beer sundae (boy is that good). The restauant service was exceptional- Thor, the bar manager spent most of the night around our table making sure fresh glasses we avaialbe for every new taste, (since we opened 10 bottles, that meant 80 glasses, not counting the glasses they used because we insisted that they also taste the wines, and the glasses for the wines that were sent back to the kitchen) and inquiring which wines were to be served when, keeping the later champagnes on ice until it was their time. Ihsen was our server from Tunisia, and he was ever present but not in the way or oversolicitous. His recommendations and explantions of the dishes were expert and accurate. The special dishes like the steak tartare, or the beer ice cream dessert were delicious and the pastry chef's rendition of a huckleberry claufutie was beyond expectation. We did not order the claufutie but he personally brought it over and served it and discussed our wines and the evening as he saw us from his vantage point in the kitchen. When the bill came we all looked at it and agreed that it must be a mistake, it wasn't high enough for what we had and the service we received. Needless to say, we left a very large tip.

You can get the same wings at Urban Burger as at Urban BBQ, which is nice since it is a little closer to my house. (and they are now serving the ribs at Urban Burger too.)

Joe, that is the kind of wine I'm talking about when I said trade.

Some people are just too phobic. The server is more likely to have washed his/her hands more recently than you have. Besides, anyone who has ever had a child knows that it is amazing the things that can go into our mouth without hurting you. I'm editing this to add that I understood incorrectly what was being complained about. I agree that it is not too much to ask that there be new silverware with each course in a nice/fine dining/fancysmancy restaurant. I'm not so sure that that is necessarily the case in the average mom and pop place down the street; after all, do you use three forks at dinner at home? Personally, I have no problem using the same fork for my appetizer and my main course in the kind of restaurant where the silverware comes wrapped up in the napkin on the table before I get there. On the other hand, if I'm having a steak, I certainly expect to be given a steak knife to cut it with. I did manage to look at the whole list (there are 25 items) and most do not look that unreasonable. On the other hand, I guess the dining scene in LA is a lot different than here, since most of what she is complaining about has never happened to me in a restaurant in DC. Sure, there are places where "celebs" get special treatment, but that is the nature of the game. In LA it is a star or a powerful TV or movie executive, here it is a politician, but it certainly doesn't hurt a resturant's business to make sure that the "star power" person is given a great table where they can be seen. I agree however, that regardless of my station in life, I have a right to a nice table if one is available and has not been reserved. On the other hand, I like that I can request a certain table at some restaurants where I am a regular and get it if at all possible. There are a couple of restaurants where my wife and I go where they know which is "our table" for various reasons. (I hate booths, I don't like to sit under the airconditioning vent, etc.) We don't complain if we can't have it because someone else does, but when I make a reservation, more often than not, they will reserve that table for us. It is just one of the perks of being "a regular." While I don't particularly like it when restaurants don't seat you unless your whole party is there, I understand why it is the policy in some restaurants. On the other hand, if you are part of a party that is going to be late, call and let the rest of your party know, so they can tell the restaurant. This recently happened to me at Firefly, and the restaurant had no problem seating my wife and I at the table set for six because the others in our party had called and said that they were delayed by traffic and expected to be there in 15 minutes. On the other hand, I've been left waiting for folks who didn't show and did not have the good manners to call. Should the restaurant have tied up a six top for a party that ended up being two? "Pull out your wallet only once. If you have a drink at the bar, the tab shall be transferred to your table; you shall not be asked to settle up at the bar. It's the restaurant's responsibility to make sure the bartender or bar server receives his or her share of the gratuity; that is not your problem." Gee wiz lady, get real. It would be nice if they did that, and in some places they can. But sometimes the bar and the restaurant are on different systems, and it is not possible to transfer the bar bill to the restaurant check; and it is your responsibility to tip the bartender, not the restaurants. How much trouble is it to pay up? "A wine list. Every adult diner should be offered one, just as we are offered a menu." Get real, every table should be offered one, and if it is a large party, a couple or more, but every diner? If it is just the two of you, one list is sufficient, what's the matter, you don't like to share? Waiter's anonymity. You have the right not to be told your server's name. "Folks don't come in to make new friends with the service staff," says Martha Keller, adjunct professor of hospitality at the Culinary Institute of America at Greystone in Napa. I certainly have no problem with the server having a name, and being told what it is. I dont' want an intimate relationship, but it make things much easier if I want to complement him/her to management, or for some reason have to ask for him/her, rather than having to say "you know, that blond with the big tits." Final point, while I surely expect to be treated with care and professionalism in a fine dining establishment, being a server is difficult. Some diners tend to treat servers in a manner that they would never tolerate being treated themselves by a client or customer. While you have a right to expect friendly and efficient service, you have a responsiblity to be human about it. I can put up with a lot if I know that the server is trying, and it takes a lot for me to get upset about service. Rudeness, lack of attention, I have a problem, but I don't like high maintenance people, whether they are the ones I'm serving (thank goodness I am not a waiter anymore) or the one's I'm dining with. Actually Leslie Brenner may be a very nice and engaging person, but from her article, I'd just as soon not have her as a dinner companion, I'd rather enjoy my meal than hear my dinner companion complain.

Finishing off the last of a bottle of a 1999 Fattoria di Felsina Berardenga Chianti Classico that we had with pizza from Riccutti's for dinner.

I haven't run into a problem yet except with a winery in CA that I have since dropped. The last time they shipped me a sixpack, they asked me for six names and technically shipped one bottle to each person, all in the same box. Otherwise, everyone has been willing to ship as much as I order. It may help that they are shipping to a business address.

If you happen to come up the Maryland way, there is a small orchard on New Hampshire Avenue in Cloverly that sells apples and fresh pressed apple cider. They make it right there and it is very good, and unpasteurized. I think it goes for $5 a gallon. The place is the garage of a small brick house on the left just past Norwood Road, before you get to Rt. 198 if you are going north on New Hampshire.

I recently made a reservation for six people (I had family arriving in town) at a local restaurant for 7pm on a Friday night using OpenTable. OpenTable has my work telephone number since I am there during the day. When I got to the restaurant, there was no problem, our table was ready and everything went very well. Monday when I got to work there was a message on my voicemail asking me to call to confirm my reservation. The time stamp said that it was received at 4:30pm, unfortunately half an hour after I had gone home for the day. The message was polite, it just asked me to call and confirm if possible. But there were not threats to cancel the reservation, or even a hint that it was a possibility. I think that restaurants are smart to try to get confirmations for larger parties, but I also think that the person who called realized that they were talking to a machine at work at 4:30pm on a Friday afternoon and was reasonable enough to realize that there was a good possibility that the message would not be received until Monday. In such a situation, I would hope that the restaurant realizes that the person is more likely than not to show up, and cancelling the reservation could lead to embarrassment for both sides. If you are going to have a policy that confirmations are necessary or the reservation will be cancelled, then you had better make sure that you clearly and politely make sure that the person makeing the reservation is aware of the policy and has acknowledged it.

My sister called and said that she, my mother, and another of my many sisters were going to be in town and asked that I pick someplace to meet for dinner. Since Firefly is close to another sister's office and they were going to be there, I chose it. I'd never been and wanted to try it so I made reservations for six of us (add in my wife and a brother in law) and asked about their corkage policy. I brought a bottle each of the 2003 Ramey Hyde Vineyard Chard and the 2002 Radio-Coteau Zinfandel Von Weidlich. As the evening progressed I purchased a bottle of the 2005 Conundrum from the list. Corkage is $15 per bottle with a two bottle limit. However, I was not charged corkage, either because I was sharing the wines I brought with the server, or because I purchased a bottle from the list. We had a great dinner. Since we are all family, and tend to share/steal bites from each other, we ordered appetizers for the table. Oysters Rockefeller, crispy oysters with po' boy sauce, parmesan truffel fries, and heirloom tomato and mozzarella salads. All were excellent, with the tomatos being a major hit. Entrees included the Halabut (I didn't get to taste it but my wife and sister both ordered it and said it was excellent) the 6 hour braised pork shoulder (so tasty and tender it didn't need a knife) pan seared scallops (out of this world) and of course, for me, the bistro steak. Service was excellent, very attentive without being obtrusive. We ended the meal with the apple crisp (good but not extraordinary), bread pudding (good flavor, and very light, which was supprising) pear sorbet (out of this world) with a salty oatmeal cookie, and a brownie sundie with peanutbutter icecream that was a major hit. My mother and sisters ordered coffee with a side of sambuca. I don't know who was more supprised, me or the server, when all three tossed the sambuca back in a single shot, but by then we were pretty happy, having finished all three bottles of wine. If I had any complaint, it was that the place is loud. Since there were six of us, it was difficult to talk to someone on the other side of the round table. But all in all, we were all very pleased, both with the food and the service, and will be back.

My nieces are orthodox and keep kosher. Whenever they visit my MIL (who does not keep kosher) she has paper plates and a separate utinsels for them to use. It is not hard to find foods that are Parve, just have to look for them. I agree that Pikesville and Riesterstown are going to have more selections for places to eat. However, there is a large orthodox community in the Kemp Mill/Wheaton area and there are choices there too. I'd also recommend you look on some of the Kosher boards, such as the Kosher board on Chowhound (sorry to plug them Rocks ) to get some ideas. As long as you aren't expected to keep separate plates, etc. for dairy and nondairy, cooking kosher isn't that hard.

If I remember correctly, it was owned by two chefs, one Thai, one French.

Even though I am not Jewish, I married a nice Jewish girl many years ago. Even though we don't keep kosher, I still find that kosher chickens and turkeys taste better than any other. There are Chinese restaurants that are Glat kosher, and I beleive there is a kosher pizza place in the Kemp Mill shopping center.

Chef's Secret used to be one of my favorites during its first incarnation when I lived in Greenbelt over 20 years ago. We used to bounce between Chef's Secret, the Calvert House, and the Alamo, depending on what we wanted and how much we wanted to spend. Of course, there wasn't much in the way of non-chain (or even chain) dining in that area in those days.