DannyNoonan
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Everything posted by DannyNoonan
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Thanks, Speckled Hen. I feel better now that you cleared up what the new bar will be and, most importantly, won't be. See you soon.
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I admit to being a bit dismayed when I read about the bar being revamped here. As evident from reading my earlier posts, I am/was a huge fan of eating in the bar early on Fri or Sat nights with my wife and kids. It was a nice atmosphere for them, we all got to eat real food, and my wife and I got to have real drinks or wine. It was a really good thing. Maybe I am nervous because I liked the target clientele of the bar's prior iteration and I am not sure how the new clientele will affect the vibe I liked here before. I wasn't only a fan of this bar when with my kids (that sounds weird) but it was my favorite bar to hang out in down there. I liked the relaxed but nice atmosphere, the great bartenders, the great liquor selection and the cocktails. I could sip a Cooper Bros. Cocktail and not have to worry about a meathead spilling his pitcher of Miller Lite on me. Hopefully that hasn't changed. We'll try it and see. With trepidation, Sean
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I would wholeheartedly second this assessment. I work in Tysons and occasionally, but not often enough, drive over for carryout lunch from the counter in the back of the store. Last week as I waited for my sandwich to be prepared, I browsed the rest of the store and was struck that the place is like a mini version of whole foods. Things are pricey but thougtfully sourced and they make it easy to eat a healthy meal. The prepared food area is awesome though. As the prior post details, the salad selection is fantastic. I had the wheatberry salad last week and am blanking on the other ingredients but it was really good. I had a tofu sandwich too with all the toppings and quite enjoyed it, if it was a bit messy. I should have ordered it on a roll or some more substantial vessel as the multigrain bread I ordered it on kinda fell apart on me. The flavors were good, though the tofu could have used more texture (maybe a quick sear to give it a crust). Anyway, this place is unique and even though it is admittedly out of the way, I think it's worth the detour as they are trying their best to give consumers good, healthy choices.
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Sam Torrey Shoe Service, Arlington
DannyNoonan replied to DonRocks's topic in Professionals and Businesses
I would concur with Rocks' post. My wife and I have used Sam Torreys' services on many occasions and each time have been afforded the kind of attention that you receive only in neighborhood businesses like this. Service is courteous and his work shows real attention to detail. It's unsettling that showing pride in your work is unusual but this guy does. For this reason and because it's way cheaper to re-sole a pair of shoes than buy new, we'll continue to use Sam Torrey. Sean Flanagan -
My wife and I made our first visit to Rasika this past Friday. After our experience, it will not be our last. We're kicking ourselves as we wonder what took us so long to get here. We each started with a Vesper cocktail, which was much to my liking but a bit bracing my my wife. The drink was made with cucumber infused vodka, Hendricks gin, Lillet blanc, and garnished with what looked like a cucumber flatworm. It worked nonetheless, however, as the cucumber taste was just subtle enough. Started the meal with the palak chaat and mango shrimp appetizers. Both were fantastic. The spinach was almost addictive - crisp spinach, cool yogurt. I would order this again in a heartbeat. The shrimp was nothing too fancy, but perfectly executed. The shrimp was indeed perfectly cooked - seared outside, just done inside. For entrees, we ordered chicken makhani with sides of dal makhani and gobhi mattar, as well as an order of plain naan. This food was everything that I like about Indian food - the unique spices, seasonings, and preparations - but taken to another level by use of quality ingredients and precise execution. I can't recall a favorite from the bunch, they were all fantastic. We washed the meal down with a nice Oregon rose whose name escapes me but it was quite good. Service was excellent. Perfectly professional but very helpful and pleasant.
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Stopped in for dinner at Orso last night. I think we must have caught them on an off night because it was a subpar experience across the board. It wasn't particularly busy but for some reason everything took forever to come out and what did come out was not up to the usual standards. Drinks took a long time to materialize, which should have served as an omen for the rest of the night. We ordered the smoked bocconconi & asparagus salad and an order of calamari for apps. They took a while to come out but were actually the highlight of the meal. The calamari was fried well and nicely seasoned. I love the asparagus salad still even though I have had it 10 times now. The smokey mozzarella pairs perfectly with the grilled asparagus. This was where the good times stopped unfortunately. I ordered a margherita pizza, my mom ordered the ripieno with ricotta & broccoli rabe, a bambino for the kids and my wife ordered an entree sized pickled beet salad. For whatever reason, they delivered my wife's salad right after taking away the appetizer plates despite her ordering it as an entree and then never questioned why it was sitting there uneaten while we waited for the rest of the food to arrive. We waited and waited for the pizzas to arrive, then they trickled out one by one, and they weren't as good as they usually are. The margherita crust was overcooked and the pizza seemed to be thrown together more so than usual. It looked like it was made in a hurrry. The bambino was a touch overdone too. The ripieno was really salty and the broccoli rabe totally dominated the filling. You tasted almost nothing but that, no ricotta. And the filling seemed oily too. The GM eventually apologized for the slow service and offered to pay for dessert but the charge for gelato still appeared on the bill. Anyway, I am thinking, and hoping, that this was an aberration and not an indication of things to come at Orso. I am pretty sure that I saw the new chef there so not sure what the problem was in the kitchen and, as I mentioned, it didn't seem that busy so not sure how to account for the poor service. We'll still return and keep our fingers crossed that the level of service and execution of the dishes returns to what we have become accustomed to.
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You are bitter. I get it. I don't care to hear about it but you can post what you like and I can always choose more carefully what I read.
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You could also just offer congratulations to the winners. That, in addition to being snarky and sounding jaded, is an option too, albeit one that is not exercised very much on this board.
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I had a fantastic birthday dinner with my wife at The Majestic on Saturday evening. Seated comfortably in a booth just in time for our reservation, we started with a couple mint juleps, as it was Kentucky Derby Day, an order of fried green tomatoes, and an order of sauteed calamari. The drinks were great - ice cold, tasting of bourbon with just enough subtle sweetness to take the edge off. Fantastic. The fried green tomatoes were served with a round of herbed goat cheese, ramps, and small cubes of diced beets. The full flavored, tangy goat cheese worked very well with the acidity of the tomatoes while also marrying perfectly with the beet flavor. The calamari were tender, not the least bit rubbery, and served with rapini and cherry tomato halves. This was a well composed and well prepared dish and I would have noted it more had it not been competing with the fried green tomatoes which I thought were fantastic. For an entree, I chose the asparagus and morel mushroom ravioli and my wife chose the pan roasted red snapper. We also ordered a side of spring peas. Both dishes were nothing short of superb. The generous portion of ravioli featured crisp tender thin asparagus sections and morel bites topping i think 7 or 8 al dente pillows of ricotta-filled pasta. All this lightly bathed in a butter sauce that somehow did not weigh the dish down at all. I ate every bite. It was fantastic. My wife's snapper, which I sampled liberally was equally delicious. The fish was cooked to perfection - seared in a very hot pan to give it a nice textural crunch that offset the flaky lightness of the middle. Artichokes, potatoes, and carrots rounded out the dish. It was my birthday so I felt justified in ordering a piece of the coconut layer cake. What I got must have equaled a quarter of a cake, the portion was that big. It was perfect though. The cake was perfectly moist and the frosting was creamy with just a hint of sweetness to play up the coconut flakes. It paired very nicely with the chenin blanc dessert wine I ordered. Service was crisp and efficient and unobtrusive, with the delivery of dishes timed perfectly. I have always thought highly of the food, service, and ambiance of The Majestic and Saturday's experience proved me right once again.
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I had a fantastic birthday dinner with my wife at The Majestic on Saturday evening. Seated comfortably in a booth just in time for our reservation, we started with a couple mint juleps, as it was Kentucky Derby Day, an order of fried green tomatoes, and an order of sauteed calamari. The drinks were great - ice cold, tasting of bourbon with just enough subtle sweetness to take the edge off. Fantastic. The fried green tomatoes were served with a round of herbed goat cheese, ramps, and small cubes of diced beets. The full flavored, tangy goat cheese worked very well with the acidity of the tomatoes while also marrying perfectly with the beet flavor. The calamari were tender, not the least bit rubbery, and served with rapini and cherry tomato halves. This was a well composed and well prepared dish and I would have noted it more had it not been competing with the fried green tomatoes which I thought were fantastic. For an entree, I chose the asparagus and morel mushroom ravioli and my wife chose the pan roasted red snapper. We also ordered a side of spring peas. Both dishes were nothing short of superb. The generous portion of ravioli featured crisp tender thin asparagus sections and morel bites topping i think 7 or 8 al dente pillows of ricotta-filled pasta. All this lightly bathed in a butter sauce that somehow did not weigh the dish down at all. I ate every bite. It was fantastic. My wife's snapper, which I sampled liberally was equally delicious. The fish was cooked to perfection - seared in a very hot pan to give it a nice textural crunch that offset the flaky lightness of the middle. Artichokes, potatoes, and carrots rounded out the dish. It was my birthday so I felt justified in ordering a piece of the coconut layer cake. What I got must have equaled a quarter of a cake, the portion was that big. It was perfect though. The cake was perfectly moist and the frosting was creamy with just a hint of sweetness to play up the coconut flakes. It paired very nicely with the chenin blanc dessert wine I ordered. Service was crisp and efficient and unobtrusive, with the delivery of dishes timed perfectly. I have always thought highly of the food, service, and ambiance of The Majestic and Saturday's experience proved me right once again.
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Nice dinner last night at Eventide, as I have come to expect Started with a Dark & Stormy (again) and loved it again. Several of my colleagues felt compelled to copy my order once they heard that the bar makes their own ginger beer. This is a great rendition of this drink. Began the meal with a nice asparagus salad that featured slender stalks of nicely crisp-tender asparagus, thinly sliced radishes, and dandelion. The whole concoction was minimally dressed so the dish was redolent of spring time and fresh veggies. For an entree, I chose the forest mushroom and ricotta tortellini. The pasta was cooked to a nice al dente and arranged to encircle a heaping pile of green lentils, diced sweet potatoes, and I think maybe another diced root vegetable. The dish wasn't nearly as springy as the salad but was nonetheless well executed and quite tasty. The lentils were cooked nicely, not mushy, so they provided a nice textural foil to the creaminess of the ricotta filling in the pasta. The seasoning was spot on as well. Nicely done. I washed down the meal with a bottle of The Prisoner, a CA meritage that my companion chose and that I liked very much. He is from Connecticut and he remarked what a bargain this wine represented at the price (about $80 I think). Finished off the evening with a glass of apple eau de vie. I like the fact that they offer such a selection of these on the after-dinner menu. I don't see them offered very many places and find them a pleasant way to round out a meal.
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Very nice dinner Sat night at BlackSalt. We arrived early for our reservation and were fortunate to find seats at the bar. I started with the Negroni from their specialty cocktail menu. Made with Bluecoat gin, it was a nice rendition of the classic. Next time I have to remember to order it on the rocks though as my wife said it looked like I was drinking a cosmo. My wife ordered something called The Porch Swing. If I recall correctly, it was gin, Pimms, lemonade, and cucumber served on the rocks in a tall glass. It was a refreshing concoction with many layers of flavor. Once our friends arrived, we were shown to a table in the much quieter back dining room, which was nice as it made conversation easier and offered much roomier accomodations than the front dining room. I started with a fantastic Pacific bonito tartare from the specials menu. I don't recall the accompaniments but that's only because I was so focused on how great the fish was. Obviously high quality fish, simply prepared. Delightful. My wife ordered a beet salad that she enjoyed quite a bit and was notable for it's more than ample portion size. I ordered the bouillabaisse entree, as I remembered an absolutely transcendent experience the last time I ordered this dish and was eager to have a repeat performance. What I experienced was a solid dish with high quality ingredients, but not quite transcendent. The seafood was expertly prepared. Each component was cooked what seemed to be the perfect time, which must be easy to mess up when trying to cook ingredients like monkfish, scallops, shrimp, and mussels. The difference this time was the broth. Last time, I remember being blown away. This time, I was a little underwhelmed. It needed salt and seemed to lack the nuance that I remember last tiime. Overall, a solid offering but not quite the heights reached last time. Key lime pie for dessert was exquisite and a great way to round out the meal.
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I had a great time dining in the lounge area of Eventide early Saturday evening with my daughter. Yep, that was me eating in a bar with an 18-month old girl. However odd it sounds, it was actually perfect. The lounge was empty, our table looked out the big windows in the front to provide lots of distractions, and the noise level was a bit higher than in the dining room, which is typically pretty quiet in the early hours, so even if my daughter spoke up, it wasnt likely to be disruptive. Started with a Dark & Stormy, with the bar's homemade ginger beer. Fantastic drink, the ginger beer adds a lot of kick. Truffle fries and mixed greens salad as apps then organic chicken breast as an entree. The fries were really good. My daughter pummeled them. The salad was quite good as well. Fresh greens, baby beets, candied walnuts and lightly applied vinaigrette. And, I think I might have found a chicken dish to rival the Amish chicken at Liberty. Plump, juicy, and chicken-y, this bird was great. The chicken was served over spaetzle with fava beans. The spaetzle was fantastic, my daughter loved that too. It might not have been the traditional place to dine with a young kid, but this turned out to be a great evening and I will certainly be back.
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I tried Pete's in Clarendon last Friday for lunch with my daughter and had a pleasant experience. You enter the space and immediately see a counter, at which you place your order, take a number, seat yourself, and await food delivery. I am not sure how this set up will work during busy times as there is not much room to congregate between the entrance and the counter. Anyway, we placed our orders, after getting cheerful and instructive answers about the menu from the gentleman behind the register. We both opted for the lunch special - 2 slices with drink. I added a small spinach olivada salad. Our total came to $15-something, which seemed ok to me and seemed to dispel some of the chatter I had heard about the place being pricey. I ordered 2 veggie slices, my daughter 2 cheese slices. They have Boylan's fountain drinks, which I really like. Our food was delivered promptly and, apart from a couple small nits, was quite good. I think it was broccoli raab on the veggie slices and it was quite bitter. I actually like this flavor alot so I liked it but for those less accustomed to that strong flavor, they may find it overpowering. The crust was a tad chewy. I actually liked the crust on the cheese slices better as it was less toothsome and seemed to be seasoned better. I thought the slices could have been served a bit warmer as well. Those small points aside, I liked the pizza overall. I am more of a Neopolitan style pizza fan so I don't think I will ever fully appreciate the New Haven style but this was a solid offering. Also, the salad was outstanding. I actually think it was the high point of the meal. It's simply spinach, goat cheese, dried tomatoes, and toasted pine nuts dressed with an outstanding olive-y vinaigrette. The spinach tasted fresh, the goat cheese was tangy and the dressing was outstanding. Really a good salad. The salads, sodas, service, and pizza were enough to make me want to return if I am in the area. I am not sure this will ever be my go-to pizza but it's good and worth a try.
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I had a nice lunch with colleagues at Blue Duck today. I started with a salad of lightly dressed watercress, thinly sliced fennel, a wedge of robiolo cheese, and some (I think) candied pecans. The salad was quite good. The ingredients were high quality and left to stand on their own and they did nicely. Not a huge salad for $11 but it tasted good. Crabcakes were next, on my wife's recommendation after her lunch here last week. I was not disappointed. They were not assertively seasoned so they tasted mostly of crab, as they should. Maybe a pinch of salt would have livened them up a little more but overall I admire the light touch applied. Served atop a light salad of frisee and maybe more fennel, they were a nice, light - albeit pricey - lunch. I think the market price ended up being $30 or so for 2 crabcakes.
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I used to like SK alot, before they expanded. Back then, it was unique bar/restaurant hybrid. Not enough of a bar that you wondered about eating there and not so much of a restaurant that you felt weird just drinking beers or watching a game there. And the food was good. The chicken noodle soup was really good, the fries were good too. And I seem to remember a mushroom "burger" that was messy but good too. Then it expanded into Whitlow's West or Bailey's East and it went downhill. I went in for a couple beers a few weeks ago with a friend since it was early and nothing else was open yet and was disappointed to see how it had become nothing more than a place for frat boys to drink Miller Lite bottles and play darts. Maybe I am just bitter because this isn't my scene anymore but it's disappointing to see something that was unique and quirky turn into such a cliche.
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We too dined at Orso this weekend. I noticed immediately upon entering that "the new guy" was manning the pizza oven for the first time so I was curious how the evening would unfold. He seemed to be expediting during our last visit so I don't think we had sampled his cooking yet. Our starters were fantastic. My wife ordered, and I liberally sampled, the special beet agrodolce salad. From what I recall, it was thinly sliced picked beets and maybe some fennel (?) tossed with greens and a sweetish-sour dressing. The dressing tended more toward the sour side of the spectrum, with the vinegary beets predominating, but overall the flavor was great. The salad offered an interesting melange of flavors, was texturally appealing, and was pleasant to look at. We both loved it. I ordered another special starter of smoked bocconcini topped with lightly dressed arugula, preserved lemon slices, and grilled asparagus spears. Smoky and creamy mozzarella, peppery arugula, and perfectly grilled asparagus captured in a single bite was heavenly. A great start to my meal. Now for the pizzas: I ordered the margherita and my wife the marinara. This time, as opposed to our last visit, my wife found her pizza lacking and I liked mine. She found her crust too charred and the sauce lacking flavor. I, on the other hand, found a much more balanced flavor to my margherita. The sauce had that nice fresh tomato flavor and was well seasoned, unlike last time, and the crust was chewy and nicely charred. Again, both pizzas were, even with their shortcomings, way better than anything else in the immediate vicinity and even beyond so this is really just nitpicking. For dessert, we ordered chocolate and vanilla gelato. The flavors were good but I found the texture a bit more icy than usual. Are they still getting their gelato from Dolcezza?
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Disappointing dinner at 701 Saturday night. I had fond memories of our initial visit here about a year ago so my expectations were high. For the most part, they were not met. I started with a Hendricks martini, which was beautifully chilled and bone dry. To start the meal, I ordered a salad of pea shoots, fava beans, something called marissa cheese, and tiny croutons. The salad was pleasant - the pea shoots tasted of spring, the favas were nice texturally, and I really liked the cheese - but the dressing lacked punch and the whole dish suffered for it. A more assertive dressing with more lemon or acid of some sort would have made a nice salad into a really good one. My entree red snapper served over "saffron risotto" with peekytoe crab and meyer lemon. I put quotes around the saffrom risotto because, while there was clearly rice under the fish, calling the runny mess a risotto seemed inappropriate. The rice was undercooked, it was not creamy in the least, and it tasted nothing of the promised saffron. In fact, I found no hint of peekytoe crab either. The meyer lemon flavor was so dominant that it drowned out all the other flavors. On paper, this seemed like a great dish but the execution was rather poor and made me wonder what happened between my last visit here and now. The service was pleasant, prompt, and professional. The ambiance was nice, especially with the piano player. The lack of finesse and general poor execution of the dishes I ordered will make me reconsider a future visit, however.
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Agreed for pretty much any spirits-related needs in my experience, not just gin.
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Met a friend at the bar at Blue Duck for drinks and light dinner and was pleased with the experience. I like the bar's quiet ambiance - quiet and refined. I typically hate bars in hotels but this one doesn't feel like that at all. I didn't indulge but I like the fact that they offer a bourbon tasting menu. If it wasn't a Tuesday evening, I would have tried it. I drank two Peroni and ordered the beet salad and the Carolina shrimp. The salad featured several beet halves cooked until just tender, a few knobs of tangy goat cheese, and a melange of lightly dressed greens. Simple, light, and good. The shrimp were served room temperature in a bowl of broth that didn't seem to add alot to the dish other than a nice reddish hue. Not bad, just not notable either. The shrimp were cooked nicely - tender not rubbery - and had a nice slightly briny shrimp flavor. My buddy got the Kobe burger, which looked fairly enormous and he enjoyed it.
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Agreed that the average diner probably doesn't care who prepares their food but prior experience led me to suspect that they might have been paying attention this time. The average not food-obsessed diner populace sure seemed to come out in droves the Saturday night after the Post Dining Guide came out. That was my basis for comparison. The place was mobbed that night like I had never seen before. I, apparently wrongly, surmised that those same folks might have read the news, again in the Post, and steered cleared after Edan's departure. Happily, that does not appear to have been the case. I am fairly food obsessed, I do care who prepares my food, and I do care what ingredients go into my food and I will keep going to Orso. As I have thought further about my experience there Friday, I realized that there is no reason to do otherwise. Hopefully this departure is just a bump in the road.
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My family set out this evening, determined to get pizza, not intending to be guinea pigs. We first attempted Pupatella, only to find it hopelessly jammed even at 5:50. We would have loved to stay for our inaugural visit but with 3 adults and 2 little kids there was just no way. So, we set out down the road to Pizzeria Orso and decided that we'd taste first-hand how the new guy was doing. The verdict: mostly good. We ordered mozzarella sticks for the kids and the mixed green salads for ourselves. Those were just as good as we remembered. The dressing on the fresh greens was tasty and judiciously applied. My kids pummeled the mozzarella sticks so I guess those were good as well. I ordered a margherita, my wife a marinara, and my MIL (I think) a filetto (not sure about the name but it came with garlic, basil, and halved cherry tomatoes). My wife declared her marinara as good as ever and my MIL loved her pizza, especially the tomatoes which were somehow really sweet and tasty in March. My margherita, overall, was good but I must admit that it was not as consistently transcendent as I remembered. I have been here alot and have always ordered this pizza so I have a good basis for comparison and somehow this pizza wasn't quite as good. Don't get me wrong, I think it is still way above average and probably better than most pizza we have available in this area but I found myself taking certain bites that just weren't as good as others. I think maybe the sauce was underseasoned, needing salt. And I think the crust was just a tad overcooked. It was more crackery and toothsome than I recall. Hard to put my finger on exactly why, maybe it was psychological, but it just wasn't as good. There was a good crowd at 6pm, it seemed about average, so it seems maybe as if the world of Edan's departure hasn't gotten around yet. The guy manning the oven tonight was the only other guy I had ever seen cook pizzas when Edan was there, maybe his name is Adam, so I was comforted by that. The new guy was making the rounds to some tables to check on how people were doing in between what appeared to be expediting in the kitchen. I heard him tell the table next to us that they're thinking about adding some more seasonal menu items to the line up and trying to source more products locally, specifically mentioning the Falls Church farmer's market. So, will we be back? Yes. As I mentioned previously Orso is so close to home and kid friendly and (still) has pizza that far exceeds the other local options. I didnt like Edan's departure for some reason. I don't know the details and never will but I value consistency and like it when everything at least appears to be fine at places I like so his departure kinda threw me for a loop. But, the product, at least at first glance, seems to have survived and if the new guy really will make the menu more seasonal and local then that is even better. We will go back and see if the consistency holds up over time. I hope it does.
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I am late to this thread but am sooo bummed to learn of the developments at Orso. I have loved this place since it opened. We'll go back, as it is very close to home and very kid friendly, but will be wary of adverse changes in pizza quality post-Macquaid's exit. Bummed.
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Dined with friends at Lyon Hall for the first time on Sat evening and had a fantastic experience. Food, drinks, ambiance all top-notch. We were in a bit of a hurry so we skipped appetizers, or rather just had drinks for appetizers. I would have liked to try the beet salad but, alas, I had to settle for a Negroni from their cocktail menu. I forget the clever name they gave the drink but, if memory serves, it was a combination of Plymouth gin, Aperol, and Dolin sweet vermouth. I liked the drink, though I think the Aperol made it a bit sweet for my taste, and think I would prefer Campari but overall it was a decent version of the cocktail. My wife had a fantastic chenin blanc from the By the Glass menu. I think it was Chateau Gaudrelle ($10) and it was lovely. It was crisp, not too fruity. Very nice. For entrees, my wife and I both ordered the scallops - served with sweet potato puree, brussel sprouts, and kale (I think). The kitchen was nice enough to leave out the bacon at our request and I don't think the dish suffered by its absence. The scallops were beautifully cooked - seasoned, seared, and not the least bit overcooked or rubbery. Equally outstanding were the accompaniments. Small, halved brussel sprouts nicely caramelized til they had some texture but weren't mushy. Also, some sauteed greens, kale I think, and sweet potato puree. I tried to include a bit of each in each bite. I loved the combination of briny (scallops), salty (greens), vegetal (sprouts), and sweet (potato puree). We also shared a side of pommes frites and loved them too. Really crispy, salty and addictive. Portion size was more ample than it appeared as well. I had a couple slices of bread from the bread basket (pumpernickel and sourdough I think - both pleasantly chewy with toothsome crust) and was plenty full after my meal. We both paired the aformentioned chenin blanc with our entrees and thought it was a wonderful pairing. The noise level was much better than I expected with the restaurant crowded on a Saturday evening. The service was friendly and the pacing was good. A slight hiccup led to a delay in delivery of our pommes frites but ended up no big deal. This was my first time at Lyon Hall but it seems as if the Liberty Tavern folks have indeed hit the jackpot again. We'll be back.
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Nice dinner last weekend with friends at Matchbox in Chinatown. Started with a Match-hattan - Makers Mark, sweet vermouth, orange bitters - and it hit the spot. Ordered the beet salad and was equally pleased. Fresh greens, lightly dressed, a few hunks of goat cheese, with cubed beets and walnuts (I think). Overall, a nice, light way to start the meal. I had eaten pizzz at Orso the night before and leftovers that day for lunch so I wasnt in the mood for pizza and I don't eat red meat so no mini burgers, so I went for the linguini with roasted tomato sauce. I really liked it. Nicely al dente linguini, generously portioned, and tossed with some roasted tomatoes, smoked mozzarella, and croutons for texture. Quite satisfying for such a simple dish. A couple glasses of Shoofly Buzzcut, or something like that off their whites by the glass list, and I had a fine meal. Service was prompt, courteous, and not intrusive which was nice as the place was quite busy that evening.