jfw

Stopped by the Rockville location for lunch. I've mostly been underwhelmed by Matchbox. This was my first time at the Rockville location. Nice space. Cool that there are so many seating options and arrangements. Those options make the place feel dynamic and interesting. Of note. They've expanded to the west cost and opened a location in Palm Springs, CA. I wonder how they'll do out there. The food was so darn average and seemingly unhealthy, I feel worse for it right now. Mind you, I didn't set out to eat 'light,' but...still. I started with the mini burgers. I am not sure why they asked me what temperature I wanted my burgers cooked. I ordered medium rare and they came out well done. Is it really possible to cook a one-inch patty to proper temp? I seriously doubt it. To ask how I want it cooked is to get my hopes up. Anyhow...no biggie. I honestly wasn't expecting a bite-size medium rare burger. The onion straws were tasty and very, very, very plentiful. I chuckled pretty hard when my wife asked how much onion comes with the nine count mini burger plate. I can't even imagine. I followed the starter with the 'sweet and tangy calamari salad.' The menu says: crispy calamari, field greens, banana peppers, roasted red peppers, kalamata olives, balsamic vinaigrette. Anything in that list jump out at you as kinda strange? The salad appears to be a nod to 'Rhode Island style' calamari (I sampled my fair share in college), but the kalamata olives aren't part of the RI style dish and struck me as incongruous with the other flavors. I almost asked for the salad without the olives, but then figured I'd take the chance and not question the creator's vision. I should've stuck with my instincts. The olives added nothing good to the dish. Thankfully, they fell to the bottom of the plate and I ate around them. Other than that, the salad was nicely executed. The greens were not bruised. The dressing was lightly applied. The calamari was nicely cooked, though cold. Maybe that was intentional, so as not to wilt the lettuce. Despite the fried squid, this was a lighter counterpoint to the mini burger/onion straw grease fest. Speaking of grease, I guess the market sees pizza mostly as a cheese delivery vehicle, right? I remember going to the original Matchbox location in its infancy and thinking, "Man, they just pile so much gosh darn cheese on these pizzas. It is a bit sickening." I guess that is the winning formula. My wife got the veggie (not 'vegetable') pizza. I had that once at the Capitol Hill location and today's looked just like that (though I didn't sample today's). What a gut bomb. Oodles and oodles of cheese. And potato chips, to boot! Not sure what else to say about this dish. It looked heavy and my wife confirmed it was painfully heavy after only being able to down half the small pie. The rest is sitting in a box in the fridge and I don't look forward to having to wipe up the grease residue that already appears to be seeping through the box. Speaking of that box, 'vintage pizza bistro' is printed on it. I don't get it. What makes the restaurant or product 'vintage?' One final humorous tidbit? On our way out, my wife figured she'd grab a matchbox (you know, a box with matches inside). We kinda imagined the place would have some to share. No dice. We asked the hostess if she had some. "Oh, we're all out right now," she said. JFW

Yes. #31. It is my go-to. I sit down and Kenny(?) says, "Fischer Amber? Shrimp garden rolls? #31?" I say, "Yes." Then I stuff myself silly (usually after asking for more dressing/sauce to put on the #31) and, after the damage is done, am happy to accept the hot towel to save myself the trip to the bathroom for my typical post-meal hand washing. Thank you, Nam-Viet, for ten years of that ritual. JFW

Had a really noteworthy dinner experience last weekend at Ardeo+Bardeo. I hadn’t visited since the ‘re-concept’ occurred, but was excited to see what came of the place. Having lived in the neighborhood for about a decade, I watched the restaurant evolve. I visited a few times each year and tasted offerings by the several chefs who passed through the kitchen. Despite the changes over the years, there is still a common thread that runs through the dishes and cooking at Ardeo. The formula is solid. Ingredients are clearly high-quality. The cooking, from a technical perspective, is skilled. The dishes and ideas are rarely so complicated and outrageous that I fear mis-matched flavors or a garnish or element that is difficult to handle or eat. It is good, relatively simple cooking that doesn’t have to break the bank. Never mind that the whole dining experience beyond the food is also very comfortable. On a total whim, my wife and I showed up without reservations around 6:30PM on a Saturday with our six-month-old in tow. Front-of-the-house folks seated us at a great table where we could keep the baby in her car seat and away from the passing servers and coming-and-going customers. A thoughtful touch. The meal… The menu lends itself to unconventional ordering and we did just that. Our spread included: -Steak, horseradish crème fraiche, fingerling potatoes-$7 (‘Savory Snack’ menu section): Just as described. Four bite-size arrangements. Tiny, buttery, fried and smashed fingerlings as a base. A dollop of slightly sharp (coulda used a bit more kick) crème fraiche. A 1” square piece of rare steak. An all-American meat and potatoes meal wrapped up in a single bite. In a fantasy world, I’d go to the movies, order a popcorn, and be rewarded with a bucket full of these instead. I could’ve eaten fifty of these things. -Crispy brussel sprouts, apricots, pistachios, yoghurt-$7 (‘Vegetables’ menu section): The sprouts were so nutty and crispy. Some of the leaves were even slightly reminiscent, in texture, of Rasika’s palak chaat. I don’t remember any pistachios, but the sweet apricots were a nice touch and the yoghurt was, I believe, spiked with some citrus (lemon?) and made for a nice added flavor. I happen to really like the vibrant green color of brussel sprouts, but these end up pretty brown and a bit drab looking. That takes nothing away from the awesome flavor and texture, but is just worth noting from a visual standpoint. -Braised oxtail, fava beans, puffed rice, and spiced jus-$11 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): I loved this dish. I’m always up for exciting textures in my food and this delivered. The oxtail was really rich and flavorful. Molded/formed, it was quite firm and took a bit of manipulation to pull it apart. Once free of its tight form, the meat was well-braised and tender. The green fava beans stood out visually and added some pleasant sweetness and a little bitterness. The puffed rice flavor came through more than I would’ve expected. Texturally, those were cool because some fell in the jus and got a little soggy (no problem), but others stayed out of the broth and maintained their crunch. And the jus. Oh, the jus. It was deep and complex. Unexpectedly, there was some ginger in the jus and it was a bright flavor that added another dimension. -Scallop schnitzel, white asparagus, sauce gribiche-$10 (‘Small Bites’ menu section): Another winner. The breading was so light. Cleanly fried. The pounded scallops took up large footprints, so I can only imagine how big those suckers were before they got flattened. Given that, this dish seemed like a very good value. At comparable restaurants in the area, a scallop main course with one additional scallop would’ve cost in the $28-34 range. Nearly everything on the plate worked really well. The white asparagus was a little light on flavor, but the gribiche was nice and creamy and tangy in a way that paired well with the very sweet scallops. There was another sauce on the plate and I’m not sure what it was. Maybe some pureed white asparagus? Anyhow…I liked the concept and execution here. -Border Springs lamb ravioli, English peas, mint, smoked yogurt-$16 (‘Pasta’ menu section): The pastas counted as our ‘mains’ and my wife got this. At that price point, we were expecting pretty lean portions. We were pleasantly surprised to find these pasta servings to be very generous. I got one precious taste of this dish and was left wanting many more. All the ingredients mentioned popped. Particularly exciting? The mint and the smoke flavor. -Rabbit bolognese, ricotta agnilotti, carrot puree-$14 (‘Pasta’ menu section): More praise for this dish. A bit monochromatic, this dish offered more deep, rich, solid flavors. I didn’t quite realize the ricotta would be hiding inside the agnolotti and so breaking the first one with my fork offered a nice surprise of very smooth, stark white cheese against the other brown/red/amber and orange hues on the plate. The bolognese was thick and meaty and the carrot puree was a touch sweet and distributed at the edge of the plate so it could be added to each bite as needed. In the end, not as heavy a dish as I expected (another good thing). We paired all this with a 2009 Mauritson Zinfandel ($45). I remember some good berry flavors and a little pepper that paired well enough with most all the dishes. A pretty versatile option. After all this, we were perfectly sated. I could’ve done with a little dessert course, but it was time to get the little one home and to bed. Getting up from the table, I noticed Ashok was doing his drop-in for the evening. I made a point of telling him everything was amazing and he was, of course, gracious. We stood outside the restaurant for about five minutes while he repeatedly pinched our daughter’s chubby cheeks and spoke freely about his next project, his wise decision to invest in parking in Cleveland Park, and his extended family. From start-to-finish, it was a lovely experience. A reservation is already on the books for a family visit Memorial Day weekend.

I'll reply. Yeah. A great, targeted, niche-type spot. Of the neighborhood, for sure. I think today qualifies as our first 'gimme a pils' kinda hot day. Standard was a perfect spot for spending a couple hours with my best friends (wife and kid). NC-style pulled pork was tart and puckery with vinegar. Maybe not as much brown sugar and hot pepper flake as I'd like, but still my preferred style. Bun and slaw stood up to the pork. Mexican-style (forget the specific region) roasted corn was aptly refreshing...despite incorporating cheese and mayo. Corn was already sweet. (It is only late-April, right???) Two or three roasted and ground chile varieties clinging to the mayo are roasted and ground in-house. I coated the ear liberally with lime juice and this was a big hit. The salty hard cheese also added a counterpoint to the corn's sweetness. Seasonal, so get it now. I like the onion rings a lot. The Black Squirrel sets the bar, but these are a really solid competitor. Definitely buttermilk battered. Good pepper. Good crunch. Certainly not 'strings' or 'straws,' these are hefty enough to be two-biters, but don't require you to put them down between bites. It's a really solid onion ring. Scrimshaw Pils and Spaten were perfect pours for today. We'll be back soon. Welcome, Standard.

Had dinner at Sonoma early this week. Though the flavors were good, I was turned off by the apparent lack of value. Having dined at Sonoma a few years ago, I remember eating excellent food and not leaving hungry. This week, I found portion sizes painfully small for the price paid. I started with a small plate. It was the burrata with winter caponata crostini. As I ordered, I thought I'd eat it alone. Looking at the price, though, I figured it had to be split-able and decided I'd share with my wife. $12. I'm used to the size of the burrata 2Amys serves. That is plenty for more than one person and costs something in the $7 range. Also, the 'i' on 'crostini' suggested there would be more than one piece of bread. Turns out, this was a crostinO. One meager piece of bread. A paltry piece of burrata (looked like we received only half of a full burrata 'puck'). A healthy scoop of diced pumpkin and onions and pistachios (the caponata). Here, the flavors were excellent. The caponata was a smidge sweet, but the pumpkin did balance well with the sharp onion and the creamy cheese and the char on the bread. Despite the taste, I was disappointed to only get one bite of it all, as my wife had the second bite. My main was the roasted trout with kale, molasses-glazed carrots, and smoky crushed potatoes. Again, flavors were a real hit. The trout had skin on both sides. It was edible and added good texture and mouthfeel to the dish. The carrots were nice enough. The potatoes were as described...smoky and crushed. A bit dried out, but still tasty. The kicker here, though, was that everything was pretty cold and light in size. I don't imagine the trout weighed more than 3 ounces (I guess 4 is probably standard, so maybe my serving wasn't so far off from being reasonable), there were three baby carrots on the plate, and the potatoes amounted to about four forkfuls. The $21 price tag isn't terribly high, but I probably only got about eight bites of food off the plate. It just struck me as so little. My wife had the roasted chicken. I didn't try it. She reported decent tastes and inconsistently cooked chicken. In the car ride home, and totally unprompted, she remarked, "I can't believe how little food there was on my plate tonight." That plate cost $23. I'll bookend this by saying we aren't huge folks. Combined weight of about 262 pounds. For a couple of lightweights to leave hungry after spending about $80 on dinner, you gotta figure portion size just wasn't adequate. As much as I'd like to eat the food at Sonoma again, I don't think I can stomach spending that much cash for so little product. JFW

The tartare at Et Voila! is excellent. Clean beef flavor. Nice mustard and caper additions. Appropriately dressed greens to accompany. Solid all around. Sometimes they offer it as a starter and sometimes they offer it as a main. If it is only on the menu as a main and you have a friend with you who is also interested in tartare as a starter, the main is just the right size to split as a starter. They'll serve the larger size at the start of the meal. No prob'. JFW

We are at 2Amys once or twice a week and somehow I only just noticed Sushi Sushi on Macomb St., NW is shuttered. Sunday afternoon, I saw a 'Notice of Public Hearing' posted in the window at 3712-3714 Macomb Street, NW. The notice mentions: Licensee: Les Deux Garcons, LLC Trade Name: Bistrot Le Zinc Nature of Operation: French bistro serving lunch and dinner. Hours of operation appear to be long. Closing time is shown as 2AM for Fridays and Saturdays. Anyone know more about the place and the plans? JFW

Coming up on a week since we visited and all memories are not as vivid as they were immediately after. But I'll simply echo much of what folks have reported since the restaurant opened. The DonRockwell.com deal was an excellent value. Service was much improved over the horrible service we experienced at our one and only Bebo visit. We used to frequent the Osteria many moons ago and I remember service there being acceptable. Last Friday, the employees at Galileo III were gracious and kind and helpful. No question, there was some fumbling and confusion. But my wife's fear that the service would distract from great food ended up unfounded. Phew. Some random thoughts on the food... Started with the Carne Cruda All' Albese. This was a very nice dish. Nor surprisingly, it was very lean meat. The meat flavor was delicate. I jump on most opportunities to eat tartare and most often come across raw beef. The veal was a nice change. Lightly dressed with good acid, it was balanced and earthy. A fine way to start. I tasted one bite of my wife's Capesante and thought that was the dish of the evening. The scallop was really sweet and tasted like the ideal scallop. I wished I could've eaten more of that dish. Accompaniments didn't stand out as amazing or otherwise, but I remember enjoying the polentas' creaminess and remember just loving this dish. The Budino was fine. Not as mind blowing as I anticipated. I seize any chance for truffles and the generous shaving was decadent and wonderful. My main complaint is about the dish's temperature. I don't know what temperature it is supposed to be served, but it was just barely warm for us. For some reason, I wanted this dish to be hotter. Maybe I fantasized it would be even 'melty-er' at a higher temp. I moved on to the Taglierini and thoroughly enjoyed it. The lobster was undercooked, so a little mushier and stringier than I wanted. I wanted the lobster to be springy and firm the whole way through. I lean towards eating most things as raw as someone is willing to cook them, but the lobster needed a little more heat. Flavors, though, were excellent. This was a very rich dish, but portioned correctly for my taste. I also appreciated how the pasta's starch kept the strands touching. That made handling the dish with my fork orderly and easy. I finished the savories with the Agnello Al Forno. I was looking forward to more near raw meat, as the waiter asked how done I wanted the lamb cooked. He said they usually cook to med-rare and I asked if they wouldn't mind doing closer to rare. Well...the meat came out on the verge of med-well. Thinking that was going to be a strike against the dish, I took my first bite. Turns out, there was enough flavor to the meat and elsewhere on the plate that it didn't matter. Just to be open and honest, I did mention the issue to our waiter and another individual who stopped by after sensing something was amiss. Each wanted to have the dish re-cooked. But I assured each that, though the temp was off, the dish was so darn good I was more than happy to finish it as it was. My dessert was Gianduja Semo Freddo. Flavors were a kaleidoscope of some of my favorite sweet flavors. A little rum, a little banana, a lot of hazelnut, some coffee...it all interplayed very well. Beverages included a negroni (quite good), a phenomenal $55 Aglianico that was one of the best wine values I've had in a while, and a grappa Chris recommended. Final conclusion is that it wasn't a perfect evening, but that it was excellent. Again, the value was certainly there (thanks Don and Roberto) and the kinks we saw seemed easily attributable to the restaurant's new-ness.

Replying to my own post. (Or maybe Don can just remove it all to avoid any confusion.) Just spoke with Nathalie at the restaurant and she clarified the number is correct (202.783.0083) and they were experiencing momentary trouble with Verizon. All is back up and running and we're signed up to give Galileo III a try this Friday. JFW

Eager to give this a whirl, but the phone number listed at http://www.galileorestaurant.com/ for reservations yields a 'this number is not in service' message. Anyone know the correct number to call? JFW

Changes appear to be afoot at Commonwealth. Last Friday night, the weather was fine and the patio was open. Word is a Spanish chef from over at Hank's is now manning the kitchen at Commonwealth and the menu shows this. We tried a good number of small plates and a couple mains. We had a good balance of seafood and other proteins, but seafood really reigned supreme. Cod croquettes are in the Spanish vein. Different from the Italian version at 2Amys. At Commonwealth, they're denser in the middle (heavier potato batter?) and somehow lighter on the outside. The fried outer portion is crispy and light and gives way to the creamy, heavy potato and cod filling. Gambas al ajillo were ideal. All the traditional ingredients were there. Perfectly browned garlic slivers? Check. Succulent and sweet shrimp? Check. A sprinkling of red pepper? Check. Perfectly translucent and flavorful olive oil? Check. Ten years ago, Jaleo used to consistently send out a great rendition of gambas. Something changed about three or four years ago and I stopped ordering them there. This version (which I've also had over at Hank's) reminds me why I love this simple dish. We also had a squid small plate and an octopus small plate. Each was excellent, though my preference leans towards the octopus. Simply prepared with sweet grape or cherry tomatoes, onion, and butter, this was a dish rich in flavor, but light in feel. Other proteins included a sliced, rare filet (I think it was filet) marinated in Tabasco. This was also a well executed dish. The beef really, really absorbed the Tabasco flavor, but that spice wasn't overpowering. The accompanying sauce, though the color of Tabasco, was actually a cooling agent and, like raita, was effective at moderating the spice level for those who needed to individually adjust the flavor. This dish was very straightforward and basic, but the beef tasted good and the Tabasco tasted good. And that was good enough for me. Micro greens also added a little balance to the plate. I can't remember too many details about the pork belly, but can say it succeeded. I generally like a little sweetness to go with pork belly's fattiness. Commonwealth's prep included a couple pools of demi-glace on the plate and I wanted that to have a bit more sweetness about it. Either way, the pork was also well cooked and a solid dish. My main was another fish dish. I can't remember the exact name of the fish other than it was black something. Totally blanking here. Anyhow...it was a meaty fish. The thick steak curled around its slightly fatty skin. The skin helped keep this fish very moist despite its thickness and meatiness. It kinda reminded me of mahi mahi. In most cases, mahi mahi ends up too dry and chalky for my taste. I feared this fish might end up cooked the same way, but it came out tender, meaty, moist, and firm. Simple brown rice with peas and red peppers accompanied the fish and every flavor worked nicely with the others. Another success. Overall, this was the best meal I've had at Commonwealth. As much as I love the heavy, greasy, British-themed fare, I generally walk away from those meals feeling stuffed and blah. I ate lots and lots of food Friday night. But I walked away feeling sated and somehow not over-stuffed. For me, this direction towards a less 'Brit' theme is a smart move...particularly coming into the warm months.

If you can get over to 2Amys to order the current batch of octopus salad, hurry thee! It is so meaty and firm. It is without any, any, any of the chewiness or bounciness octopus sometimes shows. Decorated with citrus and dill, you'll ignore the wonderful fresh herbs and flavors and dwell on how perfectly the octopus is cooked. Other worthy and recent additions include the roasted artichokes with prosciutto and mint and the braised fennel with green olives and anchovy. The fennel dish was solid, but a bit lacking in true fennel/anise essence. But the green olives were salty and rich and this dish borrows the nuttiness the cauliflower with anchovy dish typically displays. Must be the shared anchovy ingredient. The ice cream menu hasn't included the roasted pineapple flavor in a long, long time. It's back. Get this. Remember Gillian Clark's heavenly pineapple upside down cake at Colorado Kitchen? Take the buttery flavors, the nutty caramel flavors, the slight crunch, and the sweet pineapple and swathe it in 2Amys' decadent vanilla ice cream. Brilliant! If tonight's display at the wine bar is any indication, things are about to go seasonal and revised at 2Amys. This is welcome news. A few new cocktails (I can't believe I just wrote that word, as I detest it) are on the blackboard. Should be a refreshing and tasty spring and summer at this neighborhood favorite.

Despite a lackluster brunch experience a few weeks ago with some friends at EatBar, I accepted an invite to return to the other side of the building (Tallula) last weekend. I'll echo much of what Rocks mentioned about his recent visit. The Tallula experience was very tasty. Starters included the Fritto Misto and the Warm Mushroom Salad. The prawn on the misto plate was jaw-dropping. It was enormous. And tender. And sweet. And slippery (once past the nice fried envelope). Nicely done. The sweet and tart, sweet potatoes and lemon slices, were also fried just right. I contend the fried lemon at Palena, though, is a bit more consistent in flavor and texture. Overall, a solid plate. The mushroom salad was more of a spinach salad with a few pieces of mushroom. That's not to say there weren't some excellent flavors and textures on the plate, but I think the proportions were slightly off. Highlight of the salad was a perfectly poached egg. The egg white was light and bright and the whole package jiggled nicely on the mound of spinach and 'shrooms. I believe there was a crouton of sorts on the bottom and that it was appropriately buttery and crunchy. Forgot to mention some drinks. I started the meal with some infused bourbon. I forget all that went into the infusion, but I know the result was stellar. Honey tones were memorable (five days on) and so were some other herbal flavors. A good drink. Reds by the glass (I believe we had a Tempranillo, a Malbec/Bonarda blend, and a Rhone blend) all paired well enough with the food. No specific flavors I remember from those wines. Mains included the Chatham Cod with lentil crust and the NY Strip. My cod was outstanding. The cod wasn't as moist as what I cook at home, but everything else about it was far better. The lentil crust was nicely proportioned. Not too thick, but a good coating. Bacon wasn't as prominent a flavor as I expected, though the curry in the sauce was lovely. There was also a honey flavor prevalent in that sauce, but I doubt it was from the cider that was part of the reduction. Believe it or not, the cauliflower on that plate might've been the real highlight. I love what 2Amys does with cauliflower (they get it to taste toasty and nutty), but this was also rather amazing. The flavor was not bitter or sharp. It didn't appear to be dressed with much of anything. I think it was just really good product cooked exactly right. I didn't know cauliflower could shine like that. My wife had the steak and I didn't manage a taste. That's enough of a sign that it must've been excellent. I usually get a taste of everything, but she was really protective of that plate! Dessert was banana cheesecake. Subtle banana flavor was just enough to liven up a nice, creamy, single-serving cheesecake. Not surprisingly, the banana went well with coconut, hazlenut, and chocolate flavors. A great end to the meal. I never tried Barry Koslow's food when he was at Mendocino, but I'm glad to've tasted it over at Tallula. JFW

Stopped in at EatBar this past Sunday around 1:30PM. Chose it over Tallula, as I expected they wouldn't be serving the same brunch menu. Wanted savory, non-breakfast items. Turns out, the two spots share the Sunday menu. Stuck around anyway. Overall, a pretty lackluster dining experience. We sat for approx. twenty minutes before anyone acknowledged us. When the waiter did show, I was actually around the corner scoping Tallula to see if the waiter/waitress situation over there was any more robust. It was and I returned to the table to suggest our group move. But the bartender/waiter was finally attending to us and asking around for drink orders, so we stuck it out. I ordered a burger and asked for med.-rare. Burger came out brown, dry, and cooked well-done. Also, it was really, really salty. Not much flavor other than salt. It clearly sat under the heat lamp too long, as the lettuce was completely wilted, the tomato was petrified, and the onion was also dry as a bone. My wife said her burger also only tasted of salt. I sent mine back for a re-cook. It came back to me like a black and white cookie. Half the burger was 'blue' and stringy raw meat and the other half was just like the hockey puck I sent back. Also as with the first attempt, the only discernible flavor was salt. Blech. Pretty bummed to've paid $12 for such a bad burger. Garnish, even the second time around, was also woefully meh. I've heard good things about the standard evening menu at EatBar (and even sampled a few 'snacks' about twelve months ago), so this unfortunate experience let me down. Any other similar or different stories out of here lately?

We must've been seated near you, though we only saw two little ones going a bit bonkers. Playing with a free-standing patio umbrella did look a bit risky to child, pond, and nearby diners. For the fourth or fifth time, we really enjoyed all our food (and drink) at Blue Ridge. Kinda pains me that it has received recent bad press. Highlights included the grilled okra (we've had about eight orders of this over all our visits), though the accompanying cream sauce was a bit different this time. Still a nice, rich sauce, but not consistent with what we had in the past. Not knowing they were participating in Restaurant Week when we walked in, I ended up taking advantage and ordered three courses at $30.09 ($5 less than others were charging). Started with the broiled oysters. They were fine. Nice and big, but I always prefer raw. Breading was nicely browned and well-seasoned. Good enough, but probably not worth the $11 on the regular-priced menu. My flank steak with mashed root vegetables (a bit early in the season for those?) was cooked to perfect med-rare and was an excellent piece of meat. The mashed veg was good and I enjoyed the tartly dressed salad greens atop the whole assembly. My wife's trout was perfectly grilled. I continue to claim the cooks at Blue Ridge know their grill very, very well. Her accompaniments (some zucchini and onions and tomatoes?) were light and lovely. Solid dish. A vegetarian friend's grit cakes with mushrooms and grilled green beans all looked hearty and flavorful. I didn't taste, but he reported great satisfaction. The green beans were monstrous. I also finally had the 'Barack-wurst' snack. Tight sections of sausage on skewers. Nothing mind-blowing, but a filling snack if you expect to order a light main. The dill cream sauce was well balanced. Two bottles of Lolonis Old Vine Cuvee were also good. An unexpected flavor profile. Can't remember all we tasted in it, but we did order two bottles. Something must've been right with it. I see it retails from the winery for $12, so the $29 price at Blue Ridge seemed a bit high for their mission statement. Still, I do think they offer a truly excellent wine program at a palatable price point. The coffee selections looked very appealing and I was willingly to risk the caffeine buzz to try the pressed coffee. Turns out, they were out of my preferred bean and said they subbed Whole Foods organic (presumably from across the way). I appreciated the honesty. But, turns out, they did have the decaf version of the coffee I initially requested. Score! It was a wonderful cup of rich, dark coffee. Pecan pie was good enough. The place was empty and I was very bummed to see that. I continue to enjoy good value and good food at Blue Ridge. Give it a try. It's an excellent neighborhood spot.

Pretty mixed experience yesterday evening at Liberty Tavern. Service was pretty lacking. Sat at a four top upstairs for about fifteen minutes before anyone acknowledged us. Waiter reported one special for the night and couldn't spit it out without looking at his cheat sheet after mentioning each component. We requested a dessert menu so one person at the table could decide if she wanted to save her appetite for a starter or dessert. Getting that menu took about five minutes. These little things added up to a less than stellar service experience. My wife's rum drink did not taste good. Very, very sweet. Tasted a bit like chlorine and bottled Margarita mix. Never mind that the $9 drink came to the table in a glass only about 2/3 of the way full. Seemed an awful value (decided before tasting how unpleasant it was) and I mentioned the paltry pour to the waiter. He assured me it wouldn't taste good if there was more in the glass. What?! Does the greater liquid surface area interact with the air to make the already bad drink taste worse? Very odd. Bread basket was really solid. The meal's highlight?? I had some shortribs to start. The meat was very pleasant. The savory sauce and bread made for a nice, gooey, sloppy, rich bite. The heavy meat was paired with some fruit and sauce I imagine was meant to cut the meat's richness. The accompaniment was melon and a melon sauce. It tasted of simple syrup or Karo syrup. Painful in the mouth kinda sweet. Too bad, as the meat was very good. I had skate for a main. Pan fried nicely. Tender fish. Sides (though Spaetzle and potato seemed a little heavy for a summer evening) worked well. Again, though, the sauce (raspberry this time?) tasted like candy. It was sweeter than I tend to prefer dessert. Very odd. Sooooo...I really wanted to like Liberty Tavern. I thought the menu looked thoughtfully composed and smartly balanced. Service and a really heavy hand with, of all things, sugar left me feeling disappointed. For what we paid (about $60/person), I wanted something a bit better.

What an anniversary weekend. Friday: Dinner at Blue Ridge. Highlights were an heirloom tomato salad and a grilled okra (so good, we ordered it twice) small plate. Also had some Rappahannock oysters. They were absolutely huge. Good value. The grill is clearly the highlight at Blue Ridge, as even the lemon wedge with the oysters saw some grill time. The smokiness was a nice addition to the lemon. Saturday: Lunch at Nam-Viet. Knowing what was in store for dinner, I opted for my standard #31. Didn't start with shrimp garden rolls. Grilled pork on the rice vermicelli was very tender and caramelized. Saturday: Pre-dinner at Hank's in Dupont. Reunited with the sous chef after his recent stint in Spain. Expecting to stop in for a glass of wine and a few oysters, we ended up with some perfectly executed gambas al ajillo. The shrimp were incredibly sweet and tender. Good and heavy on the garlic. A curl of red pepper added some nice heat. 1/2 dozen oysters. Rappahannocks seem to be 'on' right now, as they were the better of the two types of oysters we had. Saturday: Dinner at Komi. Our most recent previous visit left us wondering if Komi had lost some of its luster. Saturday night's showing re-elevated Komi to its previous stature. It's so tough to remember all the mezzethakia. Of the two crudo, the first was amazing. Chive and lemon(?) and turbot broth were lovely together. The two tuna preps were also outstanding. The second included a sorbet and some candied pine nuts and the texture and temperatures worked really well together. The sweet of the candied pine nuts paired nicely with the smoked salmon. A scallop bite reminded me of ika natto I used to eat at a sushi restaurant in Rhode Island. Something fermented in the Komi dish, but I couldn't figure out what. Anyhow...the BLT with pork shoulder was a rich, complex morsel. The min brioche with a creamy topping I can't remember in detail and some trout(?) roe was divine. My boulletas were pillowy and light and I kept thinking 'marshmallow' as I ate it. A good dish I thought would've paired better with a white wine. Kat's pairings were, otherwise, really, really great. My wife's spaghetti with sea urchin and crab was the sort of ocean-y dish that transports all senses to the coast and the sea at its most refreshing and finest. Suckling pig main was also other worldly. The meat was so tender and rich and the crispy skin was decadent beyond belief. Two more slices of pita would've helped. Service was also amazing. As mentioned, Kat chose well. And Bill is a charming and entertaining waiter. Again, Komi really vaulted itself back up several steps on the ladder. Sunday: Breakfast at home. Blueberry waffles, black forest bacon, eggs over easy, OJ, and coffee. Sunday: Snack at 2 Amys. A nice beet salad with tart vinegar and a wide variety of beets. Bialy and cream cheese and house smoked salmon. Sunday: Dinner at a parking lot BBQ in Takoma Park. A mish-mash sorta pot luck thing. Fingerlings on the grill, basic burgers, chicken breasts, corn on the cob, cucumber salad, and 'Chinese' cole slaw.

Not sure what's meant by "real empanada." There are many, many, many variations of and approaches to the empanada. Many South American countries have their own idea of 'empanada.' For example, I grew up eating the heck out of Cuban-style empanadas. In my Miami neighborhood, there was a small shop that sold about 40 varieties of Cuban empanadas. These stood out for being fried. Many other countries and culture deep fry their empanadas. The Cuban empandas were decadent and rich and much smaller than Julia's Empandas' empanadas. They were filled with all types of fruits, vegetables, meats, and combinations of those ingredients. They were most certainly "real" empanadas and they looked and tasted nothing like Bolivian Saltenas. Even though they're not like the Cuban empanadas I grew up on or like standard Bolivian empanadas, I'd still categorize Julia's Empanadas' product as "real." As for what they offer, I've always found them to be very tasty. Don, I think you should give them another go. Ingredients always taste fresh and vibrant. Raisins are plump. Hard-boiled eggs are cooked right. Chicken is nicely shredded. Almond paste in the dessert empanada is rich and smooth. When I used to eat them regularly for lunch in Adams Morgan (about seven years ago), they offered a vegetarian option that changed at least two or three times a week. I thought they got pretty darn creative and thoughtful with some of those. They'd include winter greens when in season. Others had sweet potatoes or leeks or other mildly interesting and unexpected ingredients. They're good, cheap, and usually relatively fresh from the ovens.

Was at Sonoma Saturday night and talked to a manager about the opening schedule at Blue Ridge. She explained there was some soft opening activity going on over the weekend. Anyone get to attend those activities? Anything to report? Rocks? JFW

Hadn't visited since February...the first month Michael was open in the new location. This visit was much, much smoother. My summary: simple and classic stuff executed very well. Also of note, nothing is light. Among four, we had: -Devilishly Good Eggs -Bacon App. -Four Sunday specials (two clam chowders, two crab bisques, two onglets, two bacon-wrapped medallions, two key lime pies, one dark chocolate mousse, one coconut cream pie) -Two bottles of Gamay The eggs and tartare offer a really nice and surprisingly refreshing start to things. The raw meat was bright, the toast points amuse me (friggin' Wonder Bread!), and the cornichons and capers were wonderfully tart. I hadn't had the bacon before. Despite appearances of being extremely fatty and gristly, these slabs were most certainly not either of those things. Mostly meat tissue. Expecting to be turned off by the weight of this pork in my mouth, the bacon didn't leave any sort of waxy or fatty feeling. Salty and smoky, this was a nice surprise. I had the crab bisque and found it to be as good as ever. I'd say half the cup was taken up by crab meat instead of liquid. Amazing. This sort of treatment is what I wish every restaurant achieved. I HATE going to a restaurant and having the place skimp on the featured ingredient of a dish. Sometimes I get overly caught up in the value concept and end up distracted from a nice product 'cause I feel like I'm being shafted. Ray's keeps value in the front of my mind, but for the right reasons. I'm reminded how much better I feel about spending good money on food that is plentiful and meets a high quality standard. Based on some previous posts in this thread, I encouraged tablemates to get the clam chowder. It's a good soup, but we all agreed the crab is king. Only thing to say about my steak is that it was very near perfect. I'm loath to call anything perfectly perfect, but this was close. My wife continues to be slightly dismayed with Ray's cooking her steaks a little cooler than she prefers, but I'm content to get a med.-rare closer to rare than medium. My onglet was a wonderful steak. My wife didn't send anything back and I think she's coming around to medium-rare instead of medium. Sides were standard and flavorful. I actually prefer skins in my mashed potatoes, so the sheer whiteness of the mashed at Ray's throws me a bit, but that's hardly something to complain about. I love that the spinach has a great creamy flavor without feeling too heavy. A nice balance. I tasted all desserts. Wanted to get the coconut cream, but my mother put dibs on that and I felt someone had to play sacrificial lamb and get some mousse. I loved all the sweets for different reasons. The family was in town from Miami (I was raised there) and we all thought the key lime pie has the right amount of sharpness and brightness and tang. It's a good pie. I only took a tiny bite of coconut and can report I know I'll get it next time. I can't remember much about the exact flavor, but it definitely drew me in and left me wanting a full piece to explore. The mousse was good and chocolate-y. Too much whipped cream for my taste, but, then again, I don't really prefer whipped cream on anything. I don't think Mark was on staff Sunday night, so I was left to pick our wines. The waitress wasn't familiar with the Gamay (from Beaujolais, not California) I locked in on and she explained it was newly added. I lucked out and drew much praise from my family for an excellent choice. If anyone in the group had had scallops, I think this lighter red would've been fine with the seafood. Service was really cheery and friendly. Stemware and utensils were spotless. I was very, very full after this whirlwind tour. I think I've only been fuller four or five other times in my life. Leftovers over the past two days have been great. Steaks brought to room temperature are almost as good as when warm. We're walking distance to 2Amys. I wish we were, somehow, also walking distance to Ray's!

Pleasantly surprised by last night's meal at Arucola. Pastas were the fresh and appropriately al dente. Had a trio...some butternut squash ravioli, a spinach linguine with veal ragu, and tagliolini with garlic cloves crushed tomato and rapini. Each flavor was fresh and distinct. The butternut squash were not swimming in butter, but were lightly coated to the point of feeling rich and decadent. The filling was a bit too sweet, but turned out to be a nice counterpoint to the sharp garlic and slightly spicy rapini in the tagliolini. All the pastas held their sauces nicely. The ragu was rich and flavorful and correctly portioned. Salad of greens with a balsamic dressing was about as simple as you can get (nothing on the plate other than the greens), but the greens were in good shape. No brown bits or slimy edges or any of that unappealing stuff. Dressing was emulsified, so it was thicker than a straight balsamic drizzle. Good flavor and not over dressed. Anyhow...came in the with low expectations and this place totally outdid itself. Though 2Amys is three blocks from home and we're there more often than is reasonable, I'd consider the trip to Chevy Chase if struck by a craving for well executed pasta.

Saturday night's dinner was at Ray's The Classics and things were good. Our server was Greg and he was a fine balance of casual, calm, and helpful. I had the salmon and the kitchen heeded my request for med. rare. There was something very special about that salmon. Amazing richness and a milky/creamy flavor and texture. The sauce was a surprise. Spiked with cinnamon, it seemed. Something akin to a mole. Unexpected, but a great counter to the fish's richness. Also, the grapes were a different sorta accompaniment. I was actually glad to see them on the plate, as earlier in the day I listened to 'The Splendid Table' discuss some even stranger uses for grapes in savory dishes (they recommended grapes as pizza topping). My companion had the Onglet and it was also superb. Sides? Excellent. The lumps in the mashed potatoes were the right sort of reminder that the dish is born from a tuber, not a flour. And the spinach was just creamy and garlicky enough to make me want more. It's always the right balance of not too heavy and not too much of a bland, steamed mess. No room for dessert.

Seems Fabio Trabocchi's efforts in NYC, though widely praised, have come to a quick end. Sounds unfortunate for Fiamma. But is there any chance he'd return to ply his trade in DC? This Times article suggests he has reason to remain in New York-- home and children. http://dinersjournal.blogs.nytimes.com/200...iammas-closing/ JFW

Been popping in Sunday afternoons to watch NFL games at The Black Squirrel. Impressed with the beer options, I hadn't sampled food since much earlier this year. Yesterday, I tasted some signs The Black Squirrel has settled in to a nice niche. We ordered a bowl of onion rings and a bowl of fries. The onion rings were unbelievably good. Thick cuts of sweet onion. The fried batter was really airy and kinda reminded me of the lightness and weight of a fritto misto di mare I had many years ago at Cashion's. The fried batter crackled in a satisfyingly crunchy way. Seasoning was pretty in your/my face. I'm not one for table salt, but the saltiness in the batter was better than a heavy shake of the table-top shaker. I never thought I'd have so much to say about onion rings, but these honestly merit deep analysis. The fries were nothing as laudable as the rings. They were solid. Not as crispy as I prefer, but they were hot. That goes a long way for me. I love fries (any sort) as long as they're straight from the fryer. The highlight taste, however, was something not yet on the menu. Hopefully Gene will make them a fixture. Poached duck mousse sliders. I never got too excited about the whole slider craze, but these are a great variation on a played out concept. If the trend is moving away from sliders, these should remain. It's how I felt about Wrapworks in Dupont. The wrap craze fizzled, but those guys stuck around for a while. They offered good, fresh product. It just happened to come swaddled in a tortilla. Back to the sliders... The mousse was rich in its density, but pretty mild in flavor. The poached mousse was sliced thick and then grilled on the flattop for some crispiness and deeper flavor. Gene said the hoisin sauce was homemade. Clearly not the same stuff you'll get at nine out of ten Chinese or otherwise Asian restaurants. Sweet and salty and rich. The crispy onion topping and the very fresh mesclun rounded out a flavorful bite. The bun wrapping it all up was pillowy, a little buttery, and an unobtrusive vehicle. It was a excellent package. The Squirrel appears to be feeding well for the winter.

Stopped in last night and sampled some items I haven't seen on the menu in the past. All were incredible, but one stood out. Suckling pig head salad. Wow! The head meat varied from light pink to closer to red. Most of the dish was meat, but it was peppered with a bit of cabbage (I'm pretty certain), some carrot, and some orange zest. Dressed with vinegar, this dish offered a great balance of tart and slight sweetness and bitterness. The meat was spongy in a wonderful way (slightly reminiscent of tongue) and the firm pork worked well with the crisp carrot and cabbage. If you like offal or other unconventional meats, you gotta give this a whirl. Other highlights of the evening were sweet English peas with Pecorino and mint. Those coulda used a bit more mint, but were otherwise nicely flavorful. A sardine and leek tart was also excellent. It included egg and potato and was rather rich.